In-situ thermal measurement of Polymers

Presenters

Carson Powers, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
Jungkyu Park, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
Dal Hyung Kim, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
Fahim DorseyFollow
Peter BeardenFollow

Disciplines

Heat Transfer, Combustion | Polymer and Organic Materials

Abstract (300 words maximum)

In this research, we conducted a detailed experimental

investigation into how strain affects the thermal conductivity of

Ecoflex elastomer, utilizing a newly developed method for

measuring thermal conductivity under mechanical strain for the

first time. In situ thermal conductivity measurement apparatus

was developed by combining the KLA T150 nanoscale tensile tester

and a custom-fabricated thermal measurement sensor. The

development of an experimental method for measuring the thermal

conductivity of nanomaterials under mechanical testing

simultaneously will contribute to the development of novel

materials for flexible electronics by helping us to better

understand the strain effect on their thermal performance.

Interestingly, the thermal conductivity of Ecoflex elastomer is

shown to increase with an increase in tensile strain until the

engineering strain reaches 20%. This is understood to be due to

the straightened polymer chains, which makes the phonon

transport to be more efficient through the stiffened polymer

chains. At very high degrees of mechanical strain, the thermal

conductivity may decrease due to the disruption of filler-to-filler

connections and increased phonon-boundary scattering between

polymer chains and magnetic powders. This is caused by the

reduced spacing resulting from the increased mechanical strain.

The findings from this study are expected to propel the

advancement of future flexible electronics by facilitating the

creation of a foundational elastomer.

Academic department under which the project should be listed

SPCEET - Mechanical Engineering

Primary Investigator (PI) Name

Justin Park