@Article{sdhm.2025.065997,
AUTHOR = {Jian Xia, Xianzhong Hu, Yan Li, Wei Zhang},
TITLE = {Experimental Study on Properties of Nano-Silicon Modified Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials Mortar},
JOURNAL = {Structural Durability \& Health Monitoring},
VOLUME = {19},
YEAR = {2025},
NUMBER = {6},
PAGES = {1489--1506},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/sdhm/v19n6/64501},
ISSN = {1930-2991},
ABSTRACT = {Incorporating microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCM) into mortar enhances building thermal energy storage for energy savings but severely degrades compressive strength by replacing sand and creating pores. This study innovatively addresses this critical limitation by introducing nano-silicon (NS) as a modifier to fill pores and promote hydration in MPCM mortar. Twenty-five mixes with varying NS content from 0 to 4 weight percent and different MPCM contents were comprehensively tested for flowability, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, thermal energy storage via Differential Scanning Calorimetry, and microstructure via Scanning Electron Microscopy. Key quantitative results showed MPCM reduced mortar consistency while NS had minimal effect. Crucially, although MPCM decreased compressive strength, NS addition significantly counteracted this loss. Increasing NS content from 0 percent to 4 percent enhanced compressive strength by 12.53%, 14.21%, 25.49%, 21.70%, and 40.70%, respectively, across the tested MPCM levels. Thermal conductivity was primarily reduced by higher MPCM content leading to lower conductivity, with NS showing negligible and inconsistent influence. The phase change temperature of the modified mortar matched that of pure MPCM, although its relative latent heat slightly decreased. This work conclusively demonstrates the novel and effective use of nano-silicon, achieving up to a 40.7 percent strength recovery in MPCM mortar while preserving its essential phase change temperature and thermal conductivity reduction capability. This strategy presents a feasible pathway for developing high-performance, energy-efficient building composites.},
DOI = {10.32604/sdhm.2025.065997}
}