**3. Enhancing PCM reliability with additives and addressing challenges of supercooling and compatibility**

To harness the full potential of the PCMs and their reliability, additives or specific material types can be used, which helps overcome challenges related to PCM stability, supercooling, and degradation, making PCMs more dependable for various applications. For the efficiency and effectiveness of PCM-based thermal energy storage systems, additives are added to enhance their thermal properties, stability, and overall performance. A list of additives includes graphite, carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, expanded graphite, cellulose fibers, silicon dioxide, polymers, microencapsulated PCMs, salt additives, paraffin wax modifiers, phase change enhancers, nanoencapsulations, fibrous materials, inorganic materials, and organic materials. To improve the stability and reliability of the PCMs, stabilizers are added. The list of stabilizers includes encapsulation, nanoencapsulation, inorganic matrices, polymer matrices, thickeners, phase change enhancers, surfactants, crosslinking agents, anti-agglomerating agents, antioxidants, thermal stabilizers, chemical modifiers, hybrid materials, and composite materials.

Li et al. discuss the benefits of incorporating nanoparticles, such as metal oxides and carbon-based particles, into phase change materials (PCMs) to enhance thermal conductivity, reduce temperature fluctuations during phase transitions, and improve thermal cycling performance [74]. Organic polymer-based additives are used to ensure uniform phase distribution, preventing phase separation and leakage, common issues in certain PCMs. The employment of stabilizers enhances the long-term reliability of PCMs by preventing phase segregation and chemical degradation, crucial for thermal insulation and renewable energy applications. Additives significantly improve PCM performance, addressing challenges like supercooling and enhancing stability, durability, and thermal efficiency.
