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Volume 115
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High-temperature coal gangue-based composites for sustainable thermal energy storage: Characterization and performance assessment
Lei Zhang a, Chenxi Zhang a b *, Zezhong Wang a, Xingbo Zhao a, Jing Shen c, Dingrong Bai a *
a Ordos Laboratory, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, 017010, China
b Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
c YanKuang Energy Group Company Limited, Zoucheng, 273500, China
10.1016/j.partic.2026.05.015
Volume 115, August 2026, Pages 192-201
Received 4 April 2026, Revised 14 May 2026, Accepted 21 May 2026, Available online 29 May 2026, Version of Record 4 June 2026.
E-mail: cxzhang@tsinghua.edu.cn; drbai@syuct.edu.cn
Highlights

• Coal gangue can be converted into a sensible heat storage material.

• TES can be made cost-effective using coal-gangue-based materials.

• In-depth characterization relates the TES performance to the material properties.

• Coal gangue TES material reaches 555 kWh/m3 of energy storage density at 1200 °C.


Abstract

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a key enabler for the large-scale utilization of intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, and it also offers an efficient pathway for industrial electrification and decarbonization. However, the widespread adoption of TES is hindered by the high cost of conventional TES materials, such as alumina, magnesium oxide, and other ceramics. This study investigates the feasibility of converting coal gangue, an abundant industrial waste with considerable environmental impact, into a low-cost, mechanically stable, and thermally efficient material for medium-to high-temperature sensible heat storage applications. Three representative coal gangue samples from the Ordos region in Inner Mongolia, China, were calcined at temperatures ranging from 1000 to 1300 °C to optimize their phase compositions, mechanical strengths, and thermophysical properties. Among the samples, Sample A from Jungar exhibited the best overall performance, achieving a volumetric heat storage density of approximately 555 kWh m−3 at 1200 °C, which is comparable to typical sensible heat storage materials, while maintaining good mechanical integrity and satisfactory cyclic stability. With near-zero raw-material cost, a simple single-step preparation process, and potential policy incentives for solid-waste utilization, the coal-gangue-based composites developed here offer clear economic and environmental advantages and introduce a promising, low-cost material system for sustainable TES applications at medium-to high-temperature levels.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Sensible heat storage materials; Coal gangue; Volumetric heat storage density; Solid waste beneficiation
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