Determining Thermal Properties of Polyurethane by Solving the Heat Equation and IR Imaging

Abstract

All materials have different and unique thermal properties that determine how the temperature changes when a material is subjected to a temperature difference. This study was intended to investigate the thermal properties of a polymer called Polyurethane, focusing on anti-seepage and anti-abrasion polyurethane. The thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient of cold polyurethane specimens have been calculated by capturing the infrared signature using a FLIR T1030Sc Infrared camera and comparing the results with simulated results. The simulations were carried out in MATLAB®, and the solution is based on the Heat equation. This paper describes the driving mechanisms behind the Heat equation and how the approximated solution to the Heat equation is obtained by discretizing through a forward-time central-space (FTCS) finite-difference method. The results reveal that the heat transfer coefficient for anti-abrasion Polyurethane is almost four times that for anti-seepage Polyurethane. The thermal conductivity for the respective has a difference of a factor of two. A good agreement between the experimental and the numerical study was achieved. This study is helpful for the potential use of polyurethane material in Arctic regions either as a coating material for pipes or as a sealant in the oil and gas industry.