# Characterization of Responsive Plasters for Passive Moisture and Temperature Control
## Materials and Methods
### Experimental Methods  
In order to access the effect of the applied PCM and SAP admixture on the microstructure of the studied plasters, the basic material properties, such as the total open porosity, bulk, and matrix density, were determined on five samples. The matrix density was obtained by the helium pycnometry Pycnomatic ATC (ThermoScientific, Waltham, MA, USA), bulk density was determined via the gravimetric principle, and so the total open porosity can be calculated from the bulk and matrix density \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Mixture** & **Bulk Density (kg/m3)** & **Matrix Density (kg/m3)** & **Total Open Porosity (\%)** \\ \hline RP & 1604 \(\pm\) 39 & 2506 \(\pm\) 13 & 35.99 \(\pm\) 1.57 \\ PSC1 & 1516 \(\pm\) 36 & 2492 \(\pm\) 16 & 39.17 \(\pm\) 0.95 \\ PSC2 & 1476 \(\pm\) 41 & 2441 \(\pm\) 14 & 39.53 \(\pm\) 1.23 \\ PSC3 & 1419 \(\pm\) 23 & 2413 \(\pm\) 12 & 41.19 \(\pm\) 1.32 \\ PSC4 & 1372 \(\pm\) 45 & 2356 \(\pm\) 13 & 41.77 \(\pm\) 1.08 \\ PSC5 & 1362 \(\pm\) 24 & 2311 \(\pm\) 15 & 41.06 \(\pm\) 1.11 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Basic material properties. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Dry Plaster Mixture (kg)** & **w/p** & **PCM (kg)** & **SAP (kg)** \\ \hline RP & 10 & 0.23 & 0 & 0 \\ PSC1 & 10 & 0.24 & 0.5 & 0.1 \\ PSC2 & 10 & 0.27 & 1 & 0.2 \\ PSC3 & 10 & 0.29 & 1.5 & 0.3 \\ PSC4 & 10 & 0.32 & 2 & 0.4 \\ PSC5 & 10 & 0.35 & 2.5 & 0.5 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Plasters composition. Figure 2: Particle size distribution of used PCM composite, SAP, and dry plaster mixture. values. The relative expanded uncertainty of the bulk density determination experiments was 3.1%, and was 1.7% for matrix density. The pore size distribution was studied with the help of Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) Pascal 140 and Pascal 440 porosimeters (ThermoScientific, Waltham, MA, USA) with the assumption of the circular cross-section of the capillaries and a mercury contact angle of 130 \({}^{\circ}\)C. For pore size distribution, three independent samples were measured for each mixture. The mechanical performance of the studied plasters was assessed by a flexural strength test on 160 mm \(\times\) 40 mm \(\times\) 40 mm prisms (5 specimens) by using the hydraulic testing device Servoplus Evolution (Matset, Treviolo, Italy) with a stiff loading frame and with a capacity up to 6000 kN. The pull-out test was employed for the characterization of material adhesion according to EN 732577. The expanded uncertainty of flexural strength was 4.2%, and was 3.7% for pull-out strength. The determination of change temperatures and enthalpies was done by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis employing the 822e apparatus (Mettler Toledo, Greifensee, Switzerland) equipped with an FT 900 cooling device (Julabo, Seelbach, Germany). Five independent measurement procedures with an average weight of the sample of about 30 mg were done. Samples were placed in an aluminum crucible and the following heating/cooling rates were used: 5 min of the isothermal regime, cooling at 0.5 \({}^{\circ}\)C/min from a temperature of 40 \({}^{\circ}\)C to a temperature of 0 \({}^{\circ}\)C; 5 min of the isothermal regime, heating at 0.5 \({}^{\circ}\)C/min from 0 \({}^{\circ}\)C to 40 \({}^{\circ}\)C; 5 min of the isothermal regime. The relative uncertainty of the onset and endset phase change temperature was 2.3%/\({}^{\circ}\)C. All the experiments were done in an air atmosphere with a flow rate of 40 mL/min. The calibration of the device was done according to ISO 11357-1. The onset and endset temperatures were achieved according to ISO 11357-3. Inaccuracies in the measurement of latent heat were corrected according to [PERSON] et al. (2014), and the relative uncertainty was 5.7%. The thermal conductivity measurement performed by the ISOMET 2114 (Applied Precision, Raca, Slovakia) was done by a surface cylindrical probe with a measuring range of 0.015 W/(m\(\cdot\)K) to 0.7 W/(m\(\cdot\)K) and an accuracy of 5%/0.001 W/(m\(\cdot\)K).