Thermo-physical properties of paraffin wax with iron oxide nanoparticles as phase change material for heat storage applications

Phase change materials (PCMs) are growing in importance in many thermal applications as heat storage or to smooth the energy peak demand in many technological fields in industrial as well as in civil applications. Conductive nanoparticles can be added to phase change material to improve their thermo-physical properties. In this work, Iron oxide nanoparticles (IOx-NPs) were synthesized using a simple and green synthesis method, free of toxic and harmful solvents, using the extract of a plant as a reducer and stabilizer at two different temperatures of calcination 500°C and 750°C. The metallic oxide was used as an additive with 2% wt. compositions to paraffin wax to prepare a nanocomposite. The variation in thermal properties of paraffin wax in the composite was experimentally investigated. The biosynthesized IOx-NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) techniques. The thermal properties of the synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by a thermal conductivity analyzer and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The FTIR spectra showed a bond at 535 cm-1, which confirms the Fe-O vibration. The XRD powder analysis revealed the formation of the cubic phase of Fe3O4 with an average particle size of 11 nm at 500°C and the presence of the phase α-Fe2O3 with Fe3O4 at 750°C. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that the obtained oxide was made up of particles of nanoscale size. Experimental measurements showed that the presence of nanoparticles can improve the latent heat capacity by a maximum of 16.16 % and the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites by a maximum of 16.99%

Piezoresistive effect in spin-coated polyaniline thin films

Polymeric materials have been replacing other materials in various applications, from structural to electronic components. In particular, since the discovery of conducting polymers, the use of these materials is growing up in the manufacture of electronic components, such as organic light-emitting diodes, organic electrodes, energy storage devices and artificial muscles, among many others. On the other hand, examples of sensors of conductive polymers based on the piezoresistive effect with large potential for applications are not sufficiently investigated. This investigation reports on the piezoresistive effect of an intrinsically conductive polymer, polyaniline, which was prepared in the form of thin films by spin coating on polyethylene terephthalate substrates. The relationship between the electrical response and mechanical solicitations is presented for different preparation conditions. The values of the gauge factor ranges from 10 to 22 for different samples and demonstrates the viability of these materials as piezoresistive sensors.This work is funded by FEDER funds through the "Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade - COMPETE" and by national funds by FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, project references PTDC/CTM/69316/2006, PTDC/CTMNAN/112574/2009, and NANO/NMed-SD/0156/2007. J.N.P, A. F. and J. G. R. thank the FCT for Grants SFRH/BD/66930/2009, SFRH/BD/69796/2010 and SFRH/BSAB/1014/2010, respectively. The authors also than the support of the COST Action MP1003, 2010: The 'European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles' (ESNAM)