Modeling the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced composites

Abstract

An analytical model is developed for the effective thermal conductivity of the composites with graphene nanoplates (GNPs) within the framework of differential-effective-medium (DEM) theory. Results of the present model are compared to an effective-medium-approximation (EMA) based model and available experimental results. Predictions on the effective thermal conductivity of GNP/PA-6 and GNP/epoxy composites are in good agreement with the experimental data. Moreover, the present model can well describe the large thermal conductivity enhancement in GNP composites and, in particular, the nonlinear dependence of effective thermal conductivity on the volume fractions of GNPs, which is superior to the EMA model. © Copyright EPLA, 2012.