Surface modification of hollow glass microsphere with different coupling agents for potential applications in phenolic syntactic foams

Advancements in Solid-State Hydrogen Storage: A Review on the Glass Microspheres

Glass microspheres, with their unique internal structure and chemical stability, offer a promising solution for the challenges of hydrogen storage and transmission, potentially advancing the utility of hydrogen as a safe and efficient energy source. In this review, we systematically evaluate various treatment and modification strategies, including fusion, sol-gel, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and compare the performance of different types of glass microspheres. Our synthesis of current research findings reveals that specific low-cost and environmentally friendly modification techniques can significantly enhance the hydrogen storage efficiency of glass microspheres, with some methods increasing storage capacity by up to 32% under certain conditions. Through a detailed life-cycle and cost-benefit assessment, our study highlights the economic and sustainability advantages of using modified glass microspheres. For example, selected alternative materials used in lightweight vehicles have been shown to reduce density by approximately 10% while reducing costs. This review not only underscores the contributions of modified glass microspheres to overcoming the limitations of current hydrogen storage technologies but also provides a systematic framework for improving their performance in hydrogen storage applications. Our research suggests that modified glass microspheres could help to make hydrogen energy more commercially viable and environmentally friendly.

Development of Novel Polypropylene Syntactic Foams Containing Paraffin Microcapsules for Thermal Energy Storage Applications

polypropylene (PP) syntactic foams (SFs) containing hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) possess low density and elevated mechanical properties, which can be tuned according to the specific application. A possible way to improve their multifunctionality could be the incorporation of organic Phase Change Materials (PCMs), widely used for thermal energy storage (TES) applications. In the present work, a PCM constituted by encapsulated paraffin, having a melting temperature of 57 °C, was embedded in a compatibilized polypropylene SF by melt compounding and hot pressing at different relative amounts. The rheological, morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of the prepared materials were systematically investigated. Rheological properties in the molten state were strongly affected by the introduction of both PCMs and HGMs. As expected, the introduction of HGMs reduced both the foam density and thermal conductivity, while the enthalpy of fusion (representing the TES capability) was proportional to the PCM concentration. The mechanical properties of these foams were improved by the incorporation of HGMs, while they were reduced by addition of PCMs. Therefore, the combination of PCMs and HGMs in a PP matrix generated multifunctional materials with tunable thermo-mechanical properties, with a wide range of applications in the automotive, oil, textile, electronics, and aerospace fields.

Phenolic syntactic foams: Low-density composites for structural and thermostructural applications

Syntactic foams, low density composites consisting of hollow microballoons or microspheres dispersed in a matrix, find application in various fields. The properties of these light weight composites can be easily tuned by suitably selecting the matrix and the hollow microsphere filler and their composition. Among the various matrices employed in syntactic foams, phenolic resins have enticed the researchers owing to their salient features viz. high thermal stability, high char yield, structural integrity etc. This review gives an overview of phenolic syntactic foams with a focus on various phenolic resin based syntactic foams and modified syntactic foams. Finally, applications of phenolic syntactic foams are also covered.

Modified hollow glass microspheres composite isocyanate-based polyimide foam with improving mechanical and thermal insulation properties

In this work, hollow glass microspheres (HGM) were introduced into the polyimide matrix as an effective reinforcement filler to improve the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of the polyimide foams (PIF). The HGM was surface-modified with the silane coupling agent to enhance the interfacial compatibility with PIF. Experimental results revealed that the average cellular diameter of PIF decreased obviously with the addition of the modified HGM (M-HGM). The apparent density of foams also increased from 15.85 to 18.34 kg/m3 when the M-HGM combination was changed from 0 to 12 percent (wt.%). Compared with the pure PIF, the composite foams added 8 wt.% M-HGM showed high compression strength (65 kPa) and compression modulus (1147 kPa), resulting in a distinct enhancement in mechanical properties. Furthermore, the addition of M-HGM filler also improved the thermal insulation performance of PIF, which exhibited the minimum thermal conductivity of 29.48 mW·m−1·K−1 with 8 wt.% M-HGM. Thus, considering the improved mechanical and insulation properties of the prepared PIF, it could be a promising candidate for the high temperature-resistant thermal insulating applications.

Mechanical Behaviour of Multifunctional Epoxy/Hollow Glass Microspheres/Paraffin Microcapsules Syntactic Foams for Thermal Management

Epoxy/hollow glass microsphere (HGM) syntactic foams (SFs) are peculiar materials developed to combine low density, low thermal conductivity, and elevated mechanical properties. In this work, multifunctional SFs endowed with both structural and thermal management properties were produced for the first time, by combining an epoxy matrix with HGM and a microencapsulated phase change material (PCM) having a melting temperature of 43 °C. Systems with a total filler content (HGM + PCM) up to 40 vol% were prepared and characterized from the mechanical point of view with a broad experimental campaign comprising quasi-static, impact, and fracture toughness tests. The experimental results were statistically treated and fitted with a linear model, to produce ternary phase diagrams to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the mechanical behaviour of the prepared foams. In quasi-static tests, HGM introduction helps to retain the specific tensile elastic modulus and to increase the specific compressive modulus. The brittle nature of HGMs decreases the Charpy impact properties of the SFs, while the PCM insertion improve their toughness. This result is confirmed in K_IC and G_IC tests, where the composition with 20 vol% of PCM shows an increase of 80% and 370% in K_IC and G_IC in to neat epoxy, respectively. The most promising compositions are those combining PCM and HGMs with a total particle volume fraction up to 40 vol%, thanks to their optimal combination of thermal management capability, lightness, thermal insulation, and mechanical properties. The ability to fine-tune the properties of the SFs, together with the acquired thermal energy storage (TES) capability, confirm the great potential of these multifunctional materials in automotive, electronics, and aerospace industries.