Selection of high-performance phase change materials for enhanced building thermal management using hybrid multi-criteria decision-making

Phase change materials have attracted significant attention as highly effective and innovative solutions for thermal energy storage and temperature regulation. Due to their high latent heat capacity, PCMs can be incorporated into various applications to enhance thermal management, including walls, floors, bricks, gypsum, and insulation. However, selecting the most appropriate PCM remains a complex decision-making process due to the diversity of choices and multiple evaluation criteria.

The present research proposes a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making framework for the ranking and selection of optimal phase change materials for building applications. The evaluation criteria were weighted using a combination of objective and subjective methods. The final ranking of the alternatives was then determined using four multi-criteria decision-making techniques.

Sixteen PCMs with melting temperatures in the human comfort range (18–28 °C) were evaluated based on 16 criteria covering thermophysical, kinetic, economic, and environmental aspects. The results showed that A28 ranked first (260 kJ.kg⁻¹), followed by A26 (230 kJ.kg⁻¹) and PureTemp27 (202 kJ.kg⁻¹). The superior thermal behavior of these PCMs was further validated through building energy simulations in three different climate zones, highlighting their effectiveness in regulating temperature and enhancing thermal management.