Thermal Conductivity Enhancement of Doped Magnesium Hydroxide for Medium-Temperature Heat Storage: A Molecular Dynamics Approach and Experimental Validation.

Magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH), is recognized as a promising material for medium-temperature heat storage, but its low thermal conductivity limits its full potential application. In this study, thermal enhancement of a developed magnesium hydroxide-potassium nitrate (Mg(OH)-KNO) material was carried out with aluminum oxide (AlO) nanomaterials. The theoretical results obtained through a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach showed an enhancement of about 12.9% in thermal conductivity with an optimal 15 wt% of AlO. There was also close agreement with the experimental results within an error of ≤10%, thus confirming the reliability of the theoretical approach and the potential of the developed Mg(OH)-KNO as a medium heat storage material. Further investigation is, however, encouraged to establish the long-term recyclability of the material towards achieving a more efficient energy storage process.