SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROENCAPSULATED N-OCTADECANE IN UREA-MELAMINEFORMALDEHYDE SHELL FOR THERMAL REGULATION

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) have the ability to maintain a steady temperature upon changing phase. These materials are currently used for heat storage and space cooling. This research conducted preliminary observations on the surface cooling of polyurethane foams using PCM technology. Polyurethane foam is used in car seats and pillows which can reach 60-70°C when exposed to the sun for a certain period of time. A modified microencapsulation technique was used to synthesize a PCM with n-octadecane and urea-melamine-formaldehyde as shell and core materials, respectively. The modified technique was designed to adapt to the availability of reagents, including the time and equipment constraints in the Philippines. Differential Scanning Calorimetry revealed that the product obtained a peak melting temperature and latent heat of fusion at 34.9˚C and 190.8 J/g, respectively. A thin layer of the product was then manually applied to cover the surface of the polyurethane foam. Finally, using a Data Logger, temperature profiling of the surfaces was done as they were exposed to a heated environment. Results showed that the temperature profiles of the pure microencapsulated PCM were lower than the foam surface and ambient temperature by margins of 3.56˚C and 1.00˚C, respectively.