Research Information System
Wood Material Science and Engineering, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
The study explored an innovative building material that provides both lighting energy savings and thermal comfort by integrating microencapsulated phase change material (µPCM) into light-transmissive wood-based composite material. The wood-based composite comprises epoxy resin (Er), wood chips (Wc), fibre (Gf), various μPCM concentrations, and plastic optical grids to transmit light through the plate. The highest thermal conductivity, 0.21 W/mK, was observed for µPCM0 samples. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis presented that a composite containing 100 wt% µPCM has a melting temperature of 25 °C and a latent heat storage of 35.0 J/g. µPCM100 offered a lower surface temperature approximately 6 °C colder when the hot weather hours were taken into account. The wood composites with µPCM contributed to maintaining lower peak room temperatures and extended temperature stability overnight. While 1.923 km/s UPV was obtained in µPCM0 samples, the UPV value after 100% µPCM addition compared to the weight of the old was 1.845 km/s. Compared to the µPCM0 samples, the ErµPCMWc samples had a light transmittance rate of almost 64% greater. The study's findings could improve artificial lighting efficiency, significantly lessening indoor temperature fluctuations, enhancing thermal comfort and promoting sustainable building solutions.