Theoretical Characterization of Thermal Conductivities for Polymers—A Review
Cornelia Breitkopf
Abstract
Polymer thermal conductivities play an important role for their potential use in industrial applications. Therefore, great efforts have been made to investigate fundamental structure–property relationships to understand and predict thermal conductivities for polymers and their composites. The review summarizes selected well-proven microscopic theoretical approaches to calculate thermal conductivities such as EMD, NEMD, EMT, and BTE, and cites examples to focus on different qualitative aspects of recent polymer theoretical research. Examples other than polymer materials are given as supplemental information to support the general discussion of heat transport phenomena in solid materials.
Topics & Concepts
Characterization (materials science)PolymerMaterials scienceThermalThermal conductivityPolymer scienceChemical engineeringThermodynamicsComposite materialNanotechnologyPhysicsEngineeringThermal properties of materialsComposite Material MechanicsPolymer crystallization and properties