Theoretical Investigation into the Thermal Conductivity of Particle Filled Polypropylene Composites

Theoretical models have, over the years, tried to explain the thermal conductivity of two-phased composites. This present work focuses on investigating theoretically the thermal conductivity of particle filled polypropylene composites with emphasis on micro scale irregular shaped particles. Mathematical model developed by Bruggeman, De Loor, Nan et al including the rule of mixture also known as the parallel model and the series model were used to predict the thermal conductivity of particle filled polypropylene composites. The theoretical results were validated using experimental data. It was discovered that the model proposed by Bruggeman and De Loor gave reasonable predictions of the thermal conductivity of the composites for all the particle sizes and volume content considered with the least variation of 0.10% and 0.15% recorded for 75 μm particle size inclusions, respectively. The Maxwell, Nan et al, parallel and series model showed poor predictability with increasing volume content.