Exceptional cold-crystallization kinetics of erythritol-polyelectrolyte enables long-term thermal energy storage

Long-term thermal energy storage balances the seasonal variations in renewable supply and demand, but applied concepts require improved performance efficiency, reliability capacity. In principle, supercooling cold-crystallization offer a way to store heat for an extensive amount of time. this approach, crystallization behaviour material governs performance, as it directly relates optimal length period release properties. This work explains unique erythritol cross-linked sodium polyacrylate. To end, isothermal was measured experimentally analysed with Avrami equation. Although rate constant follows Arrhenius equation, drastically decreases near glass transition region diverges from Thermal history also influences behaviour. Increases cooling end-temperature reduce subsequent time promote metastable polymorph formation. These findings stem peculiar landscape The is classified kinetically strong thermodynamically fragile, which facilitates long-term storage. Consistent enables predicting time-dependent at different temperatures. confirms applicability two-stage Arrhenius-VFT model temperature dependence supports design real-life applications.