A phase change material is a popular functional material

and owing to its high heat storage density

maintains a constant temperature during the process of storing and releasing energy

or is stable within a certain temperature range

which makes the material be able to not only realize energy storage but also achieve temperature control functionality. Composite phase change materials have become a popular research area because of their variety of single material properties

and are widely used in building-energy conservation

the thermal management of electronic devices

and cold chain transport. Its application is quite extensive when the energy supply is not continuous. This paper divides composite phase change materials according to their chemical composition into organic-organic

inorganic-inorganic

and organic-inorganic materials

determines the advantages and disadvantages of different types of composite phase change materials based on the research in recent years

and summarizes their energy storage characteristics. The present applications of composite phase change materials are summarized

and the development of research in this area is further analyzed based on the current energy use and environmental conditions. The research objectives and directions of phase-change thermal storage are illustrated

and it is concluded that future composite phase change materials should be highly efficient

accurate

cheap

environmentally friendly

and biodegradable.