Thermal Conductivity Prediction of Thermally Conductive, Electrically Insulating Materials under van der Waals Interactions

Abstract

The thermal transport phenomenon in small-scale heterogeneous composites is essentially controlled by van der Waals interactions. In this article, thermal conductivity of nanocomposites with 33 wt% crystallized silicon dioxide is four times higher than that of epoxy (EP) resin composites. Nanocomposites with 33 wt% boron carbide exhibit seven times higher thermal conductivity than pure EP. Pal and Lewis-Nielsen multiscale models were used to infer that distance-associated van der Waals interactions vary between composites with different weight fractions. Such variation consequently affects the thermal conductivity of the composites. Scanning electron microscope images of crystallized silicon dioxide/EP composites provide evidence of our reasonable and accurate inferences with regard to the thermal conduction mechanism. Experimental values confirm that the Pal model is superior to the Lewis-Nielsen model. The observed enhancement in thermal conductivity indicates important implications for the development of highly and thermally conductive electrically insulating materials. Results of this study can also be considered to improve modeling for thermal conductivity under van der Waals interactions.

KEY WORDS:

• thermal transport
• multiscale thermal model
• conductive insulation material
• van der Waals interaction

Additional information

Funding

We acknowledge support from the program Advanced Heat Dispersion Technology for High Power LED (cstc2012gg-gjhz50001).