Improving the Energy Storage Properties of Wood by Using Lauric Acid

Abstract

While global energy consumption varies based on countries’ economic prosperity, a significant portion is attributed to approximately 30–40% buildings in the world. The predominant share of this energy usage is allocated for the purposes of heating and cooling. On a yearly basis, our nation’s energy demands are escalating by 8–9%. To cope with this mounting energy requirement, there is a steady upsurge in the reliance on fossil fuels. The advancement of energy storage systems holds equivalent importance to the exploration of novel energy sources. Energy storage serves as the mechanism that adeptly captures and transforms energy into the desired usable form. This framework stands as the optimal approach to amplify the integration of renewable energy sources. Phase-change materials (PCMs) are extensively favored for thermal energy storage due to their elevated energy density and uniform temperature behavior during heat exchange. In this study, three different wood species (Populus euroamericana I214, Pinus sylvestris, Fagus orientalis) were impregnated with lauric acid under vacuum. The results show that the lauric acid modified wood thermal stability at the working temperature. After modification, approximately 14.87%, 12.45%, and 15.41% weight gain was obtained in poplar, beech, and pine wood, respectively. Latent heat storage of 50.8 J/g, 48.1 J/g, 52.0 J/g, and phase change temperatures of 48.29 °C, 45.22 °C and 50.46 °C (medium-temperature zone (buildings fields)) was measured for poplar, beech and pine wood, respectively. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.