Title

Encapsulated nano-heat-sinks for thermal management of heterogeneous chemical reactions

Authors

Authors

M. H. Zhang; Y. Hong; S. J. Ding; J. J. Hu; Y. X. Fan; A. A. Voevodin;M. Su

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Nanoscale

Keywords

PHASE-CHANGE MATERIALS; PACKED-BED REACTOR; METHANOL OXIDATION; CATALYTIC REACTOR; BATCH REACTORS; RUNAWAY; TEMPERATURE; DECOMPOSITION; PARTICLES; TRANSPORT; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology; Materials; Science, Multidisciplinary; Physics, Applied

Abstract

This paper describes a new way to control temperatures of heterogeneous exothermic reactions such as heterogeneous catalytic reaction and polymerization by using encapsulated nanoparticles of phase change materials as thermally functional additives. Silica-encapsulated indium nanoparticles and silica encapsulated paraffin nanoparticles are used to absorb heat released in catalytic reaction and to mitigate gel effect of polymerization, respectively. The local hot spots that are induced by non-homogenous catalyst packing, reactant concentration fluctuation, and abrupt change of polymerization rate lead to solid to liquid phase change of nanoparticle cores so as to avoid thermal runaway by converting energies from exothermic reactions to latent heat of fusion. By quenching local hot spots at initial stage, reaction rates do not rise significantly because the thermal energy produced in reaction is isothermally removed. Nanoparticles of phase change materials will open a new dimension for thermal management of exothermic reactions to quench local hot spots, prevent thermal runaway of reaction, and change product distribution.

Journal Title

Nanoscale

Volume

2

Issue/Number

12

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

2790

Last Page

2797

WOS Identifier

WOS:000286167400044

ISSN

2040-3364

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