Journal of Engineering Research and Reports

With the intensification of global warming and the explosive growth of cold chain logistics demand, the energy consumption and carbon emissions of refrigeration systems are becoming increasingly prominent. Phase change materials (PCMs) show broad application prospects in cold chain transportation, building energy conservation, electronic cooling and smart textiles due to their high latent heat energy storage density and temperature control capabilities. however, conventional phase change materials suffer from problems such as supercooling, phase separation, leakage and poor thermal conductivity, which limit their practical application. Microcapsule encapsulation technology effectively solves the above problems by constructing a core-shell structure, significantly improving the stability and thermal response efficiency of the material. This paper systematically reviews the classification, properties and current status of low-temperature phase change materials in different fields, focusing on the preparation methods, wall material selection, modification strategies and research progress of phase change microcapsules in improving thermal conductivity and suppressing supercooling. Studies have shown that the comprehensive performance of phase-change microcapsules can be significantly improved through the modification of shell and core materials, providing theoretical basis and technical support for their large-scale application in high-efficiency energy storage and temperature control systems. Future research should further focus on the development of multifunctional composite microcapsules, the optimization of large-scale manufacturing processes, and the feasibility and economic analysis of their integration into renewable energy storage and intelligent thermal management systems.