(A) Main activities
- Develop guidelines to measure thermophysical properties of TES materials.
- Collect new and innovative PCM and TCM worked on by the Task participants.
- Collect synthesis and production methods for TES materials worked on by the Task participants.
- Restart and fill the TES materials database.
- Develop a plan for a permanent activity on TES materials R&D.
- Publish lessons learnt from current and previous Tasks.
- Establish a Wiki for TES materials R&D.
(b) Sub‑activities
The following activities will be performed through 4 Subtasks:
Subtask A: Lessons learned
A.1 Selection and discussion of lessons learnt
- For the bi-annual Task expert meetings, lessons learnt will be selected and discussed. The appropriate way of communication will be defined. It is proposed that for each expert meeting one or two lessons learnt will be selected and worked on in more detail.
A.2 Dissemination/publication of lessons learnt
- The way of communication depends on the type of lesson learnt and the targeted audience (e.g. academia, policy makers dealing with energy transition issues like funding of research; journalists and media people who need an explanation of the role and possibilities of compact thermal energy storage, or less-scientific people with little previous technical knowledge).
Subtask B: Material characterization
The activities in Subtask B will be subdivided according to the material properties for which measurement specifications are to be developed based on round robin tests. The exact selection of material properties/round robin tests is to be made by the kick-off meeting in October 2025.
B.1 Material property 1
B.2 Material property 2
B.3 Material property 3
Subtask C: Material development & production
C.1 Systematic development of materials
- Translating application requirements into material development targets (e.g. temperature range of phase change/reaction, material safety issues, economics of TES materials, aspects of life cycle analysis)
- Structuring materials (material classes) and common requirements (e.g. stabilization of salt hydrates, enhancement of thermal conductivity, long-term durability of composite materials)
C.2 Synthesis and production of materials
- Production of materials from waste, by-products, sustainable resources.
- Alternative synthesis methods (e.g. to offer substitutes for specific chemicals, utilize sustainable sources/biodegradable materials). This is getting more attention as synthesis methods need to pay attention to the origin of basic raw materials (critical minerals/materials, security of supply issues).
C.3 Upscaling materials production
- Upscaling is needed and done in the lab as well as in collaboration with industry. Economics, safety issues, and security of supply are important upscaling parameters.
Subtask D: TES materials database and Wiki
D.1 TES Materials database launch and filling
- Final internal review and launch of the database: Data test uploading by Task experts between May and July 2025; Final, small adaptions and move database to ISE server; Prepare instructions “How to prepare and upload data”; Internal launch of database, filling of database by Task experts (October to December 2025); Launch of database once 30 materials are uploaded and checked by a commission of experts. (January to February 2026); Announce database and motivate researchers to fill in data through various channels.
- Fill the database with new data and already measured data. It is important to upload measurement data and add information on the applied procedure. Innovative PCM and TCM should also be uploaded. This would be a USP in comparison to other databases and classical review papers. As a second USP, several measurements of the same material can be uploaded so that users of the database can compare the results and assess the influence of the procedures applied.
D.2 TES materials Wiki
- Connected to the website of the materials database, the PCM Wiki will be extended to a TES materials Wiki. Some of the lessons learnt covered in Subtask A can be taken up in the new Wiki. The purpose of the Wiki is to support the communication between materials scientists and system engineers.