Phase Change Materials

The treatment of natural stone with Phase Change Materials (PCMs) provides innovative products with thermal energy storage properties. This allows the storage and release of thermal energy during day/night cycles, contributing to reduce energy demands in buildings, and consequently to CO2 emission reduction. Additionally, health and human comfort indoors can be improved by the reduction of temperature fluctuations between day/night. The objective is to increase energy savings potentials and energy storage capacity of natural stone by improving its thermal properties by means of latent heat storage materials (PCMS). Therefore, PCM treated natural stone can be used as construction materials able to store thermal energy having materials with higher thermal inertia. Energy consumption in buildings (cooling/heating systems) is decreased and negative effects and damages for the environment are reduced. The effectiveness of the treatment with PCM as thermal energy storage system for natural stone has been investigated. A PCM with a melting temperature close to that recommended for human comfort has been used for the natural stone treatment. Different experimental techniques have been used for the characterization of the PCM and for the characterization of the PCM-treated natural stone. Results have shown that these new products based on natural stone have ability to store energy. Temperature fluctuations in the place of use are minimized and the temperature peaks maximum-minimum between day-night are reduced. Moreover, because outdoor temperature changes from summer to winter and in order to have thermal energy storage properties for the full year, the treatment of natural stone with PCMs with different melting temperatures has been carried out.