BASF phase change materials put to the test
A new plasterboard material using Micronal® phase change material from BASF, the chemical company, is being trialled in the Mark Group Eco House at the University of Nottingham. In this instance the Micronal is used in the new Comfortboard plasterboard from Knauf.
The house has been built to demonstrate some of the most recently developed technology for energy efficient housing with a view to monitoring the performance of the house over a period of years.
In the sun space area two types of plasterboard from Knauf have been installed. One is a standard gypsum plasterboard, the other is the Knauf Comfortboard which contains the Micronal® PCM phase change material.
PCMs use the principle of latent heat to produce their temperature stabilisation effect. Micronal® PCM consists of microscopic particles of wax encased in a tough polymer shell. As the temperature rises, the wax melts and draws heat energy out of the surrounding atmosphere. When the temperature falls the wax returns to a solid state releasing its heat back into the atmosphere.
Micronal® PCM can be incorporated into a range of building materials and the Comfortboard product from Knauf enables it to be used within standard domestic interiors. The effect is to stabilise internal temperature, preventing overheating during the day and releasing warmth back into the house during the cooler night time period.
The ability of PCMs to effect this change in the laboratory is not in question, but the installation in the Mark Group house allows the effect to be measured in a living environment. The University of Nottingham’s Department of Architecture and Built Environment has set up a testing routine where the heat flux across the surface of the board is continually monitored for both the standard plasterboard and the Knauf Comfortboard, enabling a scientifically robust comparison to be made.
The Mark Group house is the sixth house in the Creative Energy project at Nottingham. The BASF House, part of the same project, showcases various BASF technologies, including one of the first domestic uses of Micronal in the UK.
