Polysaccharide-protein complex-stabilized Pickering phase change material emulsions for low-temperature thermal energy storage

Low-temperature phase change material emulsions (PCMEs) are excellent thermal storage media but have environmental and toxicity issues due to poorly degradable synthetic surfactants; single-component biopolymer systems lack stability, low-temperature Pickering emulsion research is scarce, protein-polysaccharide composite stabilizers in PCMEs are unreported, and Boron Nitride (BN) -biopolymer synergistic effects on supercooling remain unexplored. This study aims to develop an environmentally friendly, high-performance, low-temperature Pickering phase change material emulsion to simultaneously optimize stability, environmental compatibility, and thermal performance. This study proposes substituting traditional Emulsifiers with self-assembled sodium caseinate (SC)-xanthan gum (XG) nanocomposites. Phase change emulsions were prepared by high-speed homogenization, and boron nitride was added to synergistically reduce supercooling and improve heat transfer. The SC-XG complexes adsorb at n-tetradecane/water interfaces, forming a viscoelastic interfacial network that enhances droplet stability and restricts coalescence. Thermal analysis revealed that, at 0.5% (w/v) XG, the 50 vol% n-tetradecane PCME droplets are uniform and kinetically stable, delivering a latent heat of 89.5 J g^-1. Adding only 0.75 wt% BN induces heterogeneous nucleation, cuts supercooling from 7.8 °C to 0.24 °C, and boosts thermal conductivity. This study proposes a novel protein-polysaccharide-based technical pathway for constructing green and sustainable low-temperature thermal storage Materials, while also synergistically regulating the crystallization behavior and heat transfer performance of the emulsion through BN. This study provides both a theoretical foundation and a green technical solution for designing stable and efficient phase change material emulsions for thermal energy storage.

Biobased stabilizers; Low-temperature thermal energy storage; Phase change material; Pickering emulsion; Stability; Supercooling suppression.