Thermodynamic properties of polyurethane foam concrete in complex environments

Abstract

To study the heat storage performance of polyurethane foam concrete (PFC) when incorporating solid-solid phase change materials in complex environments. The thermal characteristics and heat storage performance of different density PFCs under carbonation and freeze-thaw cycles were characterized through thermal conductivity testing, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results show that the glass transition temperature of PFC increases gradually with density, ranging from 60.9°C to 88.2°C, indicating that the material has good heat storage performance. Carbonation and freeze-thaw cycles have opposite effects on the glass transition temperature of different density PFCs. The thermal conductivity of PFC samples is between 0.28 and 0.48 W/(m·K), and the specific heat capacity ranges from 14.7 to 27.9 J/(g·K), demonstrating a low thermal conductivity and good insulation properties, along with excellent thermal stability. The findings provide references for the application of PFC in building energy efficiency and support sustainable building development.