TY - JOUR

T1 - Cost-effective synthesis of vanadium carbide MXene from recycled waste precursors for phase change material applications in heat sink cooling

AU - Ali, S.A.

AU - Habib, K.

AU - Zaed, M.A.

AU - Saidur, R.

PY - 2025/6/9

Y1 - 2025/6/9

N2 - In this study, a cost-effective synthesis route is proposed for vanadium aluminium carbide (V2AlC) MAX phase, using carbon (C) derived from the pyrolysis of waste rubber tires, and aluminium (Al) powder sourced from recycled beverage cans. This V2AlC was further utilized to synthesize vanadium carbide (V2C) MXene. V2AlC and V2C structures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while SEM-EDX confirmed surface morphology and elemental composition. V2C MXene-based PCCs were prepared by incorporating 0.1–0.3 wt % V2C into paraffin wax (PW). SEM revealed uniform V2C dispersion, enhancing structural integrity and heat transfer pathways. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a 5.31 % improvement in thermal stability at 0.3 wt % V2C loading, raising the degradation temperature from 303 °C to 320 °C. PCCs exhibited strong chemical stability, high optical absorbance (0.9), and low transmittance (10.8 %). Thermal conductivity increased by 34 %, while latent heat decreased by 19.6 %, indicating a trade-off between heat transfer and storage. PCC-3 maintained thermal stability and latent heat over 500 cycles, confirming long-term reliability. The PCC-3 filled heat sink (HS) showed a 29.33 % and 14.75 % reduction in peak temperature compared with the empty HS and PW-filled HS under simulated heat flux conditions. This demonstrates a significant performance advantage in real-world cooling applications. Furthermore, a cost analysis confirmed the economic feasibility of the adopted MXene synthesis method, showing an 11.1 % reduction in V2C MXene synthesis costs, achieving a low cost of $24.11 per gram using waste-recycled precursors. Overall, the study offers a cost-effective V2C MXene synthesis route with promising potential for future thermal management and commercialization research.

AB - In this study, a cost-effective synthesis route is proposed for vanadium aluminium carbide (V2AlC) MAX phase, using carbon (C) derived from the pyrolysis of waste rubber tires, and aluminium (Al) powder sourced from recycled beverage cans. This V2AlC was further utilized to synthesize vanadium carbide (V2C) MXene. V2AlC and V2C structures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while SEM-EDX confirmed surface morphology and elemental composition. V2C MXene-based PCCs were prepared by incorporating 0.1–0.3 wt % V2C into paraffin wax (PW). SEM revealed uniform V2C dispersion, enhancing structural integrity and heat transfer pathways. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a 5.31 % improvement in thermal stability at 0.3 wt % V2C loading, raising the degradation temperature from 303 °C to 320 °C. PCCs exhibited strong chemical stability, high optical absorbance (0.9), and low transmittance (10.8 %). Thermal conductivity increased by 34 %, while latent heat decreased by 19.6 %, indicating a trade-off between heat transfer and storage. PCC-3 maintained thermal stability and latent heat over 500 cycles, confirming long-term reliability. The PCC-3 filled heat sink (HS) showed a 29.33 % and 14.75 % reduction in peak temperature compared with the empty HS and PW-filled HS under simulated heat flux conditions. This demonstrates a significant performance advantage in real-world cooling applications. Furthermore, a cost analysis confirmed the economic feasibility of the adopted MXene synthesis method, showing an 11.1 % reduction in V2C MXene synthesis costs, achieving a low cost of $24.11 per gram using waste-recycled precursors. Overall, the study offers a cost-effective V2C MXene synthesis route with promising potential for future thermal management and commercialization research.

U2 - 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.105598

DO - 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.105598

M3 - Journal article

VL - 26

JO - Results in Engineering

JF - Results in Engineering

SN - 2590-1230

M1 - 105598

ER -