Preparation of phase-change microcapsules with illite as a filler and their applications in foaming materials

Abstract To solve the problem of the leakage of phase-change materials and expand the application of clay minerals in the field of phase-change materials, illite and paraffin wax were used for the first time as a new binary hybrid core material with silica as the wall material. Phase-change microcapsules were prepared using the sol–gel method and successfully applied in silicone rubber foams. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the microcapsules had a melting temperature of 62.99°C and a latent heat capacity of 98.24 J g –1 , indicating their good heat-storage capacity. Furthermore, the effectiveness of using illite as a filler for preventing paraffin leakage was demonstrated through 200 thermal cycling tests, which demonstrated a leakage rate of only 2.6% compared to 3.2% exhibited by microcapsules without illite.