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Open research questions in Phase Change Materials Research

143 gap statements mined from Phase Change Materials Research papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 2,754 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • No full-scale experimental monitoring was conducted for the investigated rural residence or the five coupled heating systems. The absence of long-term field measurements remains a limitation.

    Comparative Technical and Economic Analysis of Heating Schemes for Rural Buildings · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the need to enhance the thermal performance of ETSCs for sustainable solar thermal applications. The overall performance of ETSCs is often limited by absorptance and thermal losses from conventional absorber surfaces.

    Effect of dual-layer SiO2 selective coatings on the thermophysical performance of RT-60 paraffin/aluminum foam thermal energy storage systems · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for comprehensive investigations into the tensile and impact strength of the crosslinked polymer. The limitation of hydrophilic ionic liquids in PCM applications.

    Epoxy Resin Highly Loaded with an Ionic Liquid: Morphology, Rheology, and Thermophysical Properties · 2025 · DOI

  • The need to identify the most critical process parameters for optimizing the thermal performance of the material.

    Experimental Investigation on Thermal Performance Optimization of Na2HPO4·12H2O-Based Gel Phase Change Materials for Solar Greenhouse · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the influence of different contents of modified materials on the performance features of Na2HPO4 12H2O-based multicomponent Gel Phase Change Materials. The need for optimization of the thermal performance of these materials for solar greenhouses.

    Experimental Investigation on Thermal Performance Optimization of Na2HPO4·12H2O-Based Gel Phase Change Materials for Solar Greenhouse · 2025 · DOI

  • Need for developing scalable and cost-effective methods for producing aerogel-based phase change materials.

    Aerogel-Based Phase Change Materials Meet Flame Retardancy: From Materials to Properties · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited comprehensive studies dedicated to flame-retardant aerogel-based phase change materials. Need for improved thermal stability and flame retardant properties in phase change materials. Requirement for developing next-generation energy storage composites with enhanced safety and sustainability.

    Aerogel-Based Phase Change Materials Meet Flame Retardancy: From Materials to Properties · 2025 · DOI

  • However, comprehensive studies that systematically investigate the coupled effects of fin geometry and nanoparticle loading within a unified design-space framework remain scarce.

    DESIGN-SPACE EXPLORATION AND MULTI-OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF NANO-ENHANCED PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS IN FINNED LATENT HEAT THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS · 2026 · DOI

  • However, critical challenges at material, device, and system levels remain to be addressed.

    Phase-change thermal energy storage: Materials, thermophysics and emerging applications · 2026 · DOI

  • While many features of convective flow in STES have been studied previously, the influence of the storage wall thickness on the near-wall flow, heat transfer and exergy destruction has not yet been addressed.

    On the influence of the storage wall thickness on the parasitic near-wall flow and exergy destruction in stratified thermal energy storages · 2026 · DOI

  • Two of the major limitations concerning broader use of phase change materials are low thermal conductivity, especially for organic phase change materials, and suitable containment.

    Recent advances in phase change materials for thermal energy storage · 2024 · DOI

  • The thermal performance of phase change materials needs to be improved. The use of machine learning models for predicting thermal performance is a recent development. The optimization of the composition of the geopolymer matrix is a challenge.

    Machine learning-based analysis of thermal performance in graphite-integrated fly ash-GGBS geopolymer with palmitic acid phase change material · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on optimizing EG addition for economic viability. The development of new methods for preparing EG-based PCMs is necessary. The investigation of the effects of EG on the structural properties of PCMs is needed.

    Toward scalable and sustainable expanded graphite-based phase change composites: a comprehensive review of materials, methods, and applications · 2026 · DOI

  • The optimization of EG addition is necessary for economic viability. The trade-off between thermal conductivity and latent heat in PCM composites needs to be addressed. The scalability of EG-based PCMs is a challenge.

    Toward scalable and sustainable expanded graphite-based phase change composites: a comprehensive review of materials, methods, and applications · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for a comprehensive review of PCMs for ambient and cold thermal energy storage. The study aims to provide guidance for researchers and engineers developing next-generation thermal energy storage technologies.

    Phase Change Materials for Ambient and Cold Thermal Energy Storage: A Comprehensive Review · 2026 · DOI

  • In addition, practical considerations associated with PCM encapsulation, manufacturability, phase segregation, long-term cyclic durability, and climate-specific performance were not investigated.

    Exploratory Numerical Assessment of Hybrid-Melting-Point Phase Change Materials for Building Envelopes · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of fin height and inclination angle on melting dynamics and heat transfer in LHTES systems is not well understood. There is a need for a comprehensive numerical study to investigate these effects and optimize LHTES system design.

    Thermal performance and economic viability of a finned, inclined latent heat thermal energy storage unit: a numerical study · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of efficient thermal management solutions for lithium-ion battery systems. The limitations of current composite phase change materials, including leakage and flammability.

    Polyethylene glycol with hydroxylated ammonium polyphosphate flame-retardant phase change composites for thermal storage · 2026 · DOI

  • Little research has been performed on time-dependent flow behaviors of coconut oil-based dispersions. The variability in results of nanofluid applications is still under investigation.

    Thermal Damping Applications of Coconut Oil–Silica Gels and Their Rheological Properties · 2025 · DOI

  • If from one side the argument invoked on the overlapping of molten zones appears as quite generic and robust, the present preliminary study was limited to a selection of configurations; hence, an interesting and natural next step would be conducting investigations in order to assess whether the observed trends remain valid in a wider range of values of Ra, St and other physical parameters.

    Heat transfer in phase change materials with multiple fin insertion · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of three-dimensional convective effects or heat losses on the melting dynamics of the PCM. Study the impact of transitional or turbulent flow on the heat transfer rates and melting dynamics. Examine the effects of other parameters, such as the PCM properties or the enclosure geometry, on the melting dynamics of the PCM.

    Thermal performance and economic viability of a finned, inclined latent heat thermal energy storage unit: a numerical study · 2026 · DOI

  • Bringing a PCM-integrated glove to market for occupational safety use would require navigating the applicable regulatory pathway for personal protective equipment in the target jurisdictionfor example, alignment with the relevant national or regional PPE regulation framework, followed by third-party certification testing against the specific standards identified in Section 3.9.

    Heat Regulation Glove Using Phase Change Materials (PCM) · 2026 · DOI

  • Establish an experimental or field-monitoring platform to measure indoor temperature, heating energy consumption, solar-energy output, heat-pump performance, biomass consumption, and system operating conditions. Use the measured data to further calibrate and validate the TRNSYS models under actual operating conditions.

    Comparative Technical and Economic Analysis of Heating Schemes for Rural Buildings · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term stability of the composites, - Comparing the performance of the composites with other phase change materials, - Exploring the use of different types of expandable graphite powder, - Developing new preparation methods to improve the thermal conductivity and latent heat…

    Thermally Conductive Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials Enabled by Paraffin Wax and Nanoporous Structural Expanded Graphite · 2025 · DOI

  • Hygroscopicity of [EMIM]Cl limits its use as a phase-change material, - Absorbed water depresses the melting point and reduces crystallinity, - Foaming upon heating renders the composite unsuitable for thermal energy storage, - Limited investigation into tensile and impact…

    Epoxy Resin Highly Loaded with an Ionic Liquid: Morphology, Rheology, and Thermophysical Properties · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Phase Change Materials Research

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Comprehensive studies that systematically investigate the coupled effects of fin geometry and nanoparticle loading within a unified design-space framework remain scarce (“DESIGN-SPACE EXPLORATION AND MULTI-OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF NANO-ENHANCED PHASE…”, 2026); (2) Critical challenges at material, device, and system levels remain to be addressed (“Phase-change thermal energy storage: Materials, thermophysics and emerging…”, 2026); (3) Future research should focus on optimizing EG addition for economic viability (“Toward scalable and sustainable expanded graphite-based phase change…”, 2026); (4) There is a need for a comprehensive review of PCMs for ambient and cold thermal energy storage (“Phase Change Materials for Ambient and Cold Thermal Energy Storage: A…”, 2026); (5) The impact of fin height and inclination angle on melting dynamics and heat transfer in LHTES systems is not well understood (“Thermal performance and economic viability of a finned, inclined latent heat…”, 2026). 143 gap statements have been mined from Phase Change Materials Research papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 2,754 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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