ИСТИНА

At present, the most important thing is to create environmentally-friendly methods of energy production based on renewable energy sources - wind and sunlight. The problem is the instability of wind- and solar-based power generators. They are characterized by a strong dependence of power output on weather conditions, resulting in daily and seasonal fluctuations in energy supply, which can lead to overloading of the power network and its shutdown. To overcome this, it is possible to use special materials that store thermal energy. In addition, these materials can ensure uninterrupted operation of heating systems of residential houses and industrial buildings. The principle of functioning of such materials is based on the storage of thermal energy with a substance capable of undergoing a reversible phase transition. For easy of using the phase-change material, this substance can be placed in a polymer shell or matrix. In this study, an epoxy matrix containing evenly distributed droplets of palm oil is proposed as a heat accumulator. Various methods were used to evaluate the properties of uncured and cured oil-filled epoxy resin. Laser interferometry was applied to study the miscibility of oil and epoxy resin, which turned out to be mutually soluble at elevated temperatures. Rotary rheometry was used to study the effect of the oil addition on both the properties of noncured epoxy resin and its curing rheokinetics. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry allowed investigating the curing kinetics as well as determining the glass transition temperature of the cured epoxy polymer and the melting point of the dispersed palm oil. As a result, it was shown that introducing the oil to epoxy polymer leads to its plasticization, which is reflected in a decrease in the viscosity of the noncured epoxy resin as well as reducing the glass transition temperature and hardness of the cured polymer.