ABSTRACT
Energy storage is an important area of research, as it is one of the key issues to improve the efficiency and the economic feasibility of energy systems. Materials used in latent heat storage are known as phase change materials (PCMs). There are many advantages to microencapsulating PCMs, such as increasing the heat transfer area, reducing the PCM’s reactivity toward the outside environment, and controlling the changes in the storage material volume as phase change occurs. The inclusion of waxes into the microcapsules makes it possible to increase the heat transfer and to control the volume changes when the phase change is happening. The microencapsulation process includes two main steps: the emulsification step and the formation of the capsules. The most frequently employed methods to encapsulate the PCM are chemical, physico-chemical, and physico-mechanical methodologies. Latent heat storage is one of the technologies used, in which PCMs are employed.
