Flexible and degradable polycaprolactone based phase change composites for thermal energy management

Electrospun fibrous membranes have potential applications in phase change materials(PCMs)for thermal energy storage and temperature regulation. However, challenges remain in the development of eco-friendly PCMs with flexibility and no leakage. Here, two kinds of degradable polymers, polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are selected to fabricate PCL@PEG shell@core phase change fibers composites by coaxial electrospinning technique, where supporting matrix PCL acts as shell layer and phase change ingredient PEG as core layer. An increase in PEG content of PCL@PEG would favor the gradual improvement in latent heat, and the maximum melting enthalpy could reach up to 39.5 kJ/kg. Also, the melting/crystallization temperature of PCL@PEG with various PEG content almost retain unchanged, and the temperature range is about 39 °C–33 °C. Besides, all PCL@PEG composites could be bendable coming from the designed shell@core structure and the desired mechanical properties of PCL. It is noteworthy that the shape-stabilized PCL@PEG composites possess the higher thermal reliability and temperature regulation capacity. The method thus opens an effective way for degradable phase change composites to simultaneously be flexible and leakage-free.