Integration of Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials into Thin Coatings for a Passive Battery Thermal Management System

Quarrell, Matthew J, Batty, Robert, Neale, Alex R ORCID: 0000-0001-7675-5432, Harvey, Daniel HS, Daniels, Luke M ORCID: 0000-0002-7077-6125, Shchukin, Dmitry ORCID: 0000-0002-2936-804X and Hardwick, Laurence J ORCID: 0000-0001-8796-685X (2025) Integration of Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials into Thin Coatings for a Passive Battery Thermal Management System JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY, 172 (11). p. 110522. ISSN 0013-4651, 1945-7111

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Abstract

Exploiting the heat energy storage capability of phase change materials is emerging as a potential new strategy for managing Li-ion cell temperature changes during cycling that is both lighter and more energy efficient than active battery thermal management systems. Micro-encapsulated octadecane (C 18 H 38 ) comprising of a carbon composite-based shell (carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide) selected to maintain a temperature of 27 °C was formulated into a coating and applied onto the exterior of 18650, 1.6 Ah LiFePO 4 |graphite cells. The coating delivered a heat storage capacity of 100 J·g −1 , and thermal imaging showed that the average peak increases in cell temperature during galvanostatic cycling was reduced by 7 °C when the coating was applied. The optimum coating thickness was found to be 3 mm, increasing the cell mass by 10%–15%. Furthermore, the coatings delivered a cell temperature reduction of 4 °C during a modified European drive cycle, highlighting good functionality towards practical cell usage.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	battery thermal management, phase change materials, encapsulation, autonomic thermal coatings, Li-ion batteries
Divisions:	Faculty of Science & Engineering Faculty of Science & Engineering > School of Physical Sciences Faculty of Science & Engineering > School of Physical Sciences > Chemistry
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2025 10:52
Last Modified:	28 Feb 2026 13:39
DOI:	10.1149/1945-7111/ae1b3e
Open Access URL:	https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1945-71...
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3195410
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