Recent advances in biochar-based composite phase change materials

Recent advances in biochar-based composite phase change materials

Biomass and Bioenergy

10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108742

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108742

Pin Jin Ong, Reuben J. Yeo, Anqi Sng, Suxi Wang, Warintorn Thitsartarn, Fuke Wang, Junhua Kong, Rong Ji, Beng Hoon Tan, Dan Kai, Pei Wang, Jianwei Xu, Xian Jun Loh, Qiang Zhu

05 December 2025

Ong, P. J., Yeo, R. J., Sng, A., Wang, S., Thitsartarn, W., Wang, F., Kong, J., Ji, R., Tan, B. H., Kai, D., Wang, P., Xu, J., Loh, X. J., & Zhu, Q. (2026). Recent advances in biochar-based composite phase change materials. Biomass and Bioenergy, 207, 108742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108742

Phase change materials (PCMs) are promising for thermal energy storage but face limitations, including low thermal conductivity, leakage, and poor structural stability. Biochar, a carbon-rich, porous material derived from biomass pyrolysis, has emerged as an effective matrix to overcome these challenges. While there is a growing body of literature, variations in feedstocks, activation methods, and performance metrics highlight the value of a comprehensive review. This work consolidates recent advances and highlights how feedstock selection, pyrolysis, and activation methods influence the performance of biochar-based composite PCM. These composites show thermal conductivity enhancements of ~25–150%, latent heat values from 60–223 J/g, leakage-free operation up to 60–80 °C, and good latent heat retention after 200–1000 cycles. The review also explores key applications of biochar-based composite PCMs in building energy management, renewable energy storage, and passive thermal regulation. It addresses challenges related to sustainability and scalability, while highlighting biochar’s carbon-negative potential and cost-effectiveness. By providing a unified perspective, this work identifies existing research gaps and outlines future opportunities to advance the commercialization of biochar-based composite PCMs, ultimately contributing to the development of sustainable thermal energy storage technologies.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

This research / project is supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore - NRF Investigatorship
Grant Reference no. : NRF-NRFI07-2021-0003

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/22629

0961-9534

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering