Alternatives to Paraffin
Cost and volumetric latent heat are two key parameters that will decide the market adoption of
PCMs as a building energy efficiency material. Today, paraffins are the most widely used PCMs
in building applications because they are nontoxic, abundant in supply, and easy to
microencapsulate. Other attractive features include small subcooling, chemical inertness, and
good recyclability. Although the technology is ready for the incorporation of paraffinic PCMs in
the building materials, the high cost of paraffin chemicals along with low phase change
enthalpies (4,027−5,369 Btu/ft3
;150−200 MJ/m3
) and high fire loads are proving to be major