Thermal Conductivity Parameters for Semi-crystalline Polymers
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Date
2005
Authors
Ochoo, L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Science Kenyatta University
Abstract
The nature and the form that the high temperature thermal conductivity model for semicrystalline
polymers should take have been modeled from a thermal conductivity response
curve for isotropic polypropylene at 298 K and tested on the results of other polymers reported
for other temperatures, The modeling of tile experimental results of this study has led to a
suggestion of a modified form of an existing composite model to make it relevant for the
interpretation of the thermal conductivity behaviour of semi-crystalline polymers at high
temperatures. Features of a mathematical model obtained confirm that although many models
treat semi-crystalline polymers as composite materials, at high temperatures they behaves as if
there are no distinct sharp boundaries between the crystallites and the amorphous matrix,
suggesting that boundary effect terms which are relevant for other classes of composite
materials is irrelevant in the case of semi-crystalline polymers at temperatures much greater
than 100 K. It further confirms that, at high temperatures, thermal conductivity of a semicrystalline polymer is independent of the thermal conductivity parameter for the crystalline
phase but depends mainly on the thermal conductivity of the amorphous matrix, degree of
crystallinity, size and distribution of the crystallites.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Thermal conductivity, Semi-crystalline polymers, Composite model, Boundary effect
Citation
East African Journal of Physical Sciences 6(2): 79-88 (2005)