Study of Compatibility and Flame Retardancy of TPU/PLA Composites

Preparation and Characterization of Bio-Based PLA/PEG/g-C3N4 Low-Temperature Composite Phase Change Energy Storage Materials

As energy and environmental issues become more prominent, people must find sustainable, green development paths. Bio-based polymeric phase change energy storage materials provide solutions to cope with these problems. Therefore, in this paper, a fully degradable polyethylene glycol (PEG20000)/polylactic acid (PLA)/g-C₃N₄ composite phase change energy storage material (CPCM) was obtained by confinement. The CPCM was characterized by FTIR and SEM for compatibility, XRD and nanoindentation for mechanical properties and DSC, LFA, and TG for thermal properties. The results showed that the CPCM was physical co-mingling; when PLA: PEG: g-C₃N₄ was 6:3:1, the consistency was good. PEG destroys the crystallization of PLA and causes the hardness to decrease. When PLA: PEG: g-C₃N₄ was 6: 3: 1, it had a maximum hardness of 0.137 GPa. The CPCM had a high latent enthalpy, and endothermic and exothermic enthalpies of 106.1 kJ/kg and 80.05 kJ/kg for the PLA: PEG: g-C₃N₄ of 3: 6: 1. The CPCM showed an increased thermal conductivity compared to PLA, reaching 0.30 W/(m·K),0.32 W/(m·K) when PLA: PEG: g-C₃N₄ was 6: 3: 1 and when PLA: PEG: g-C₃N₄ was 3: 6: 1, respectively. Additionally, the CPCM was stable within 250 °C, indicating a wide appliable temperature range. The CPCM can be applied to solar thermal power generation, transportation, and building construction.