In this study, a series of binary mixtures of methyl palmitate (MP) and methyl stearate (MS) were prepared, and their thermal properties were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), aiming for a novel composite phase change material (CPCM) for potential application in the warm area of China. The results indicate that the mixture consisting of 80 wt% MS and 20 wt% MP is optimum as the CPCM in terms of the phase change temperature ranges (T-m = 25.52-40.38 degrees C; T-f = 31.11-21.60 degrees C) and latent heats (Delta H-m = 164.1 J/g; Delta H-f = 154.9 J/g). In addition, the thermal reliability and chemical reliability of the CPCM were studied by accelerated thermal cycling test and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The results show that the CPCM has good thermal reliability and chemical stability. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.