Research Progress in Glauber’s Salt Based Phase Change Materials

Glauber’s salt (Na₂SO₄·10H₂O), as inorganic hydrated salt-based phase change materials (PCMs), with easy-to-obtain raw materials and high energy storage density, has the advantages of high energy storage density and a phase change temperature close to the ambient temperature, etc. However, due to the problems of large supercooling, serious phase delamination, easy leakage and low thermal conductivity, large-scale applications of Glauber’s salt based PCMs have been limited. This review is aimed to describe the current modification methods to address the problems of subcooling and phase separation, summarize the effects of various types of encapsulations, and review the progress of research on thermal conductivity enhancement to improve heat storage efficiency. Additionally, the status of practical applications of Glauber’s salt based PCMs was discussed, with an outlook on the future direction of research, to provide a reference for the development of highly stable, efficiently encapsulated, high thermally conductive Glauber’s salt based PCMs.