Thermal conductivity of the diamond-paraffin wax composite

The thermal conductivity of diamond-paraffin wax composites prepared by infiltration of a hydrocarbon binder with the thermal conductivity λ _m = 0.2 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ into a dense bed of diamond particles (λ _f ∼ 1500 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) with sizes of 400 and 180 μm has been investigated. The calculations using universally accepted models considering isolated inclusions in a matrix have demonstrated that the best agreement with the measured values of the thermal conductivity of the composite λ = 10–12 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ is achieved with the use of the differential effective medium model, the Maxwell mean field scheme gives a very underestimated calculated value of λ, and the effective medium theory leads to a very overestimated value. An agreement between the calculation and the experiment can be provided by constructing thermal conductivity functions. The calculation of the thermal conductivity at the percolation threshold has shown that the experimental thermal conductivity of the composites is higher than this critical value. It has been established that, for the composites with closely packed diamond particles (the volume fraction is ∼0.63 for a monodisperse binder), the use of the isolated particle model (Hasselman-Johnson and differential effective medium models) for calculating the thermal conductivity is not quite correct, because the model does not take into account the percolation component of the thermal conductivity. In particular, this holds true for the calculation of the heat conductance of diamond-matrix interfaces in diamond-metal composites with a high thermal conductivity.     

Bounds on the effective thermal conductivity of two-phase systems

The weighted geometric mean of resistors considered for determining the effective thermal conductivityK _E of two-phase systems has been optimised. Solutions of the equations lead to a useful set of bounds. When compared with other bounds the present bounds give the better results in estimating the upper and lower values of the effective thermal conductivity of a two-phase system.     

Filler-matrix thermal boundary resistance of diamond-copper composite with high thermal conductivity

A composite material with a high thermal conductivity is obtained by capillary infiltration of copper into a bed of diamond particles of 400 μm size, the particles having been pre-coated with tungsten. The measured thermal conductivity of the composite decreases from 910 to 480 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ when the coating thickness is increased from 110 to 470 nm. Calculations of the filler/matrix thermal boundary resistance R and the thermal conductivity of the coating layer λ _i using differential effective medium, Lichtenecker’s and Hashin’s models give similar numerical values of R and λ _i ≈ 1.5 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. The minimal thickness of the coating h ∼ 100 nm necessary for ensuring production of a composite while maximizing its thermal conductivity, is of the same order as the free path of the heat carriers in diamond (phonons) and in copper (electrons). The heat conductance of the diamond/tungsten carbide coating/copper interface when h is of this thickness is estimated as (0.8–1) × 10⁸ W m⁻² K⁻¹ and is at the upper level of values characteristic for perfect dielectric/metal boundaries.     

Nonasymptotic critical dynamics of the asymmetric-spin model in two-loop order

The crossover behaviour in the dynamics near the Lambda transition of⁴He is analyzed on the basis of the complete renormalization-group flow equations for the asymmetric-spin model (F) in two-loop order. Our results confirm the conclusions and refine the results obtained from an earlier analysis based on the symmetric model (E) and invalidate part of a recent analysis treating model F in an unsystematic approximation. Excellent agreement is found with measurements of second-sound damping over four decades in relative temperature. Closer toT our analysis predicts a further increase of the effective amplitudeR ^eff of the thermal conductivity.Supported in part by the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung     

Effective diffusivity of solute in multiphase materials with segregation

The effective diffusion coefficient D_eff for solute in a multiphase microstructure in which solute segregation can occur is related to D_eff for an isomorphic microstructure in which no segregation occurs. This permits analytical expressions (approximations, bounds, etc.) and methods of numerical calculation for D_eff that neglect solute segregation to be applied to systems that exhibit segregation. As an example, exact results are obtained for solute diffusion and segregation to grain boundaries in an idealized polycrystalline microstructure.     

A new thermal conductivity model for nanofluids

In a quiescent suspension, nanoparticles move randomly and thereby carry relatively large volumes of surrounding liquid with them. This micro-scale interaction may occur between hot and cold regions, resulting in a lower local temperature gradient for a given heat flux compared with the pure liquid case. Thus, as a result of Brownian motion, the effective thermal conductivity, k_eff, which is composed of the particles conventional static part and the Brownian motion part, increases to result in a lower temperature gradient for a given heat flux. To capture these transport phenomena, a new thermal conductivity model for nanofluids has been developed, which takes the effects of particle size, particle volume fraction and temperature dependence as well as properties of base liquid and particle phase into consideration by considering surrounding liquid traveling with randomly moving nanoparticles.The strong dependence of the effective thermal conductivity on temperature and material properties of both particle and carrier fluid was attributed to the long impact range of the interparticle potential, which influences the particle motion. In the new model, the impact of Brownian motion is more effective at higher temperatures, as also observed experimentally. Specifically, the new model was tested with simple thermal conduction cases, and demonstrated that for a given heat flux, the temperature gradient changes significantly due to a variable thermal conductivity which mainly depends on particle volume fraction, particle size, particle material and temperature. To improve the accuracy and versatility of the k_effmodel, more experimental data sets are needed.     

Unique dielectric properties in polyaniline/poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites induced by temperature variation

To explore an effect of temperature on the dielectric properties in polyaniline/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PANI/PVDF) composites, the dielectric properties of these composites with different volumetric fractions of PANI (?_PANI) were studied in a wide temperature range. An increase in the effective conductivity (σ_eff) and dielectric permittivity (?_eff) was observed with increasing temperature in all PANI/PVDF composites. Particularly, for the composite with ?_PANI = 0.01, less than the percolation threshold (?_C = 0.045), the increase in σ_eff and ?_eff was most significant. A tunneling effect could be responsible for the unique dielectric properties. The results provided us useful information related to the microstructure of composites, which was not reported previously. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Thermal conductivity of the opal-epoxy resin nanocomposite

The effective thermal conductivity κ_eff of seven opal + epoxy resin nanocomposite samples with 100% filling of first-order pores by epoxy resin was measured in the 100-to 300-K temperature interval. In the nanocomposite studied, the thermal conductivity of the matrix (amorphous SiO₂ spheres) is larger than that of the filler material (epoxy resin). κ_eff(T) of the opal + epoxy resin nanocomposite at intermediate temperatures (100–300 K) is shown to behave similar to pure opal. An explanation of the observed effect is proposed.     

Magnetic properties of scandium-containing nickel ferrites

A study was made of the structural and magnetic properties of two systems of Ni-Sc ferrites. In the investigation of the concentration dependence of the lattice parameter, the presence of a second linear part on thea(Sc₂O₃) curve was observed. This is due to the fact that not all the scandium in the charge enters into the composition of the spinel solid solution, and a finely dispersed second phase appears in quantities less than the limit of sensitivity of x-ray phase analysis. It is shown that in polycrystalline Ni-Sc ferrites the method of approximation to saturation allows K₁ to be determined only for small substitution. In the homogeneous region with scandium doping K₁ and _s decrease linearly in absolute value. The appearance of the finely dispersed phase produces a sharp increase in the effective constant K_eff which is very sensitive to the appearance of the second phase. The value of _s decreases. It is established that the concentration dependence of K_mm is very well correlated with the corresponding dependences of K_eff and _s. In particular, the increase of K_eff with decrease of _s leads to a sharp decrease in K_mm. Apparently K_eff is one of the important parameters for polycrystalline materials.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 95–100, May, 1974.     

Thermal conduction through loose and granular two-phase materials at normal pressure

The integrated theory derived for the lattice-type dispersions is modified and extended to estimate the effective thermal conductivity of loose and granular two-phase materials at normal pressure assuming an effective continuous media approximation. A comparison of calculated values ofλ _e with the reported experimental results over a wide range of loose and granular two-phase materials shows a good agreement.     

Studying the internal structure of granular magnetic nanocomposites by ferromagnetic resonance

A method for estimating the form of magnetic nanoparticles in composite film structures based on the observation of ferromagnetic resonance phenomenon is offered. Within the model of the effective medium, an explanation is given for experimentally observed concentration and temperature dependences of resonant fields for composite nanosystem (Co₄₅Fe₄₅Z₁₀) _f +(Al₂O₃)_100−f .     

多壁碳纳米管/聚丙烯复合材料热导率研究

用Pt细丝代替已有3ω方法中的薄膜热线,并设计了基于Labview程序的虚拟测量系统,准确、方便地测量了聚丙烯复合材料的热导率. 测量结果发现,多壁碳纳米管/丁苯橡胶/聚丙烯三元复合材料的热导率随着多壁碳纳米管/丁苯橡胶粉末含量的增加变化不大;多壁碳纳米管/聚丙烯复合材料的热导率随着多壁碳纳米管含量增加而增大;复合材料热导率远小于简单混合规则预测的结果,而与有效介质理论符合很好. 关键词： ω法')" href="#">3ω法 多壁碳纳米管 聚丙烯复合材料 热导率     

Thermal conductivity of crystalline fullerite C60 in the simple cubic phase

The behavior of the thermal conductivity k(T) of bulk faceted fullerite C₆₀ crystals is investigated at temperatures T=8–220 K. The samples are prepared by the gas-transport method from pure C₆₀, containing less than 0.01% impurities. It is found that as the temperature decreases, the thermal conductivity of the crystal increases, reaches a maximum at T=15–20 K, and drops by a factor of ∼2, proportional to the change in the specific heat, on cooling to 8 K. The effective phonon mean free path λ _p, estimated from the thermal conductivity and known from the published values of the specific heat of fullerite, is comparable to the lattice constant of the crystal λ _p∼d=1.4 nm at temperatures T>200 K and reaches values λ_p∼50d at T<15 K, i.e., the maximum phonon ranges are limited by scattering on defects in the volume of the sample in the simple cubic phase. In the range T=25−75 K the observed temperature dependence k(T) can be described by the expression k(T)∼exp(Θ/bT), characteristic for the behavior of the thermal conductivity of perfect nonconducting crystals at temperatures below the Debye temperature Θ (Θ=80 K in fullerite), where umklapp phonon-phonon scattering processes predominate in the volume of the sample. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 8, 651–656 (25 April 1997)     

Fundamental constants in singularity-free five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein cosmological model

Expressions for the time dependence of the fundamental constants are derived through dimensional reduction and one-loop quantum corrections to scalar fields. Moreover, singularity-free solutions of Einstein's field equations are obtained. Using these solutions, we discuss the time dependence of fundamental constants. It is interesting to see that the fine structure constant asymptotically approaches to 1/137,G _eff (effective four-dimensional constant) approachesG _N (Newtonian gravitational constant), and _eff vanishes. Graphical representations of these results are also given for a special case.     

Low-frequency dispersion of the effective transverse conductivity in inhomogeneous media in strong magnetic field

On crystalline silicon specimens with a nonuniform carrier concentration distribution produced by an optical method, a dispersion of the effective transverse conductivity σ _⊥ ^eff (ω) is observed near the frequency ω≈ω_c=τ _⊥ ^?1 ≡ε/4πσ _⊥ ^eff . At ω<ω_c, an anomalous transverse effective conductivity is observed: σ _⊥ ^eff (ω) is greater than the transverse conductivity of a homogeneous specimen σ _⊥ ^h (ω) (in the frequency range studied in the experiment σ _⊥ ^h (ω) = const). Near ω≈ω_c, the conductivity σ _⊥ ^eff decreases, and, at ω>ω_c it coincides with σ _⊥ ^h .     

Thermal conductivity of the YbMgCu<Subscript>4</Subscript> “light” heavy-fermion system

The thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of a sample of YbMgCu₄ belonging to “light” heavy-fermion compounds have been measured in the temperature range 5–300 K. The sample studied was in the region of homogeneity of this compound. It is shown that, throughout the temperature range studied, the phonon thermal conductivity of the sample has an amorphous-like character, which should be assigned to the homogeneous mixed valence of the Yb ion in YbMgCu₄.     

Constraints on Vector Unparticle Physics from Cosmic Censorship

Vector unparticle couplings to standard model fields produce repulsive corrections to gravity. From a general relativistic perspective, this leads to an effective Reissner-Nordstr?m-like metric whose “charge” is a function of the unparticle coupling constant λ, and therefore can admit naked singularities. Requiring the system to respect cosmic censorship provides a new method of constraining the value of λ. These limits are extremely loose for stellar-mass black holes, but commensurate with existing bounds for primordial black holes. In the case of theoretical low-mass black holes, the bounds on λ are much stricter than those derived from astrophysical and accelerator phenomenology. Additional constraints on the lower limit of λ are used to estimate the mass of the smallest possible black hole M_BH^minM_{\mathrm {BH}}^{\mathrm{min}} that can be formed in the unparticle framework, as a function of the unparticle parameters (L_U,M_U,d_U,d_BZ\Lambda_{{\mathcal{U}}},M_{{\mathcal{U}}},{d_{\mathcal{U}}},{d_{\mathit{BZ}}}).     

The coherent potential approximation is a realizable effective medium scheme

The effective electrical conductivity of an aggregate, composed of grains of various conductivities, is frequently estimated by the coherent potential approximation, which embodies a local effective medium concept. It is proved rigorously that this approximation is exact for a wide class of hierarchical model composites made of spherical grains: the starting material 0 in the hierarchy is chosen arbitrarily, otherwise, materialj=1, 2, ... consists of equisized spheres, sayj-spheres, of arbitrary conductivities embedded in materialj — 1. The spatial distribution of thej-spheres must satisfy a mild homogeneity condition and their radiusr _j must, asymptotically, increase faster than exponentially withj. Furthermore, the minimum spacing, 2s _j , between thej-spheres is such that the ratios _j /r _j diverges. On the basis of these and some further ancillary conditions it is established that the coherent potential approximation becomes asymptotically exact for the effective conductivity of materialj. The results extend to other effective parameters of the composites, including the thermal conductivity, dielectric constant and magnetic permeability. In addition, the model composites and the proof of realizability may be generalized to allow non-spherical grains.     

Nonlinear heat transport near the λ transition in4He

The effect of a finite stationary heat current is investigated in the spatially inhomogenous situation where the heat current induces an interface between normal-liquid and superfluid⁴He. The nonlinear temperature profile in the vicinity of the interface and the local thermal conductivity are calculated forT>T within modelF up to oneloop order. The field-theoretic renormalization-group approach is employed to describe the critical behavior both in the linear and nonlinear response regime. The finite heat currentQ causes a finite temperature gradient atT and therefore suppresses the critical divergence of the thermal conductivity. Quantitative predictions are made on the nonlinearQ dependence of the temperature profile and of the thermal conductivity which should be experimentally observable.     

The effective conductivity of composite materials with cubic arrays of multi-coated spheres

Two premeditated resistor models have been developed and tested for the prediction of the effective thermal conductivity of a periodic array of multi-coated spheres embedded in a homogeneous matrix of unit conductivity. The results have been compared and evaluated with the exact solution, as obtained by extending a method originally devised by Zuzovski and Brenner. The results for the two models were found to yield bounds for the exact solution. For some situations, the model results match well with the exact solution, but in other cases the results for one of the models could deviate from the exact solution. PACS 41.20.Cv; 44.10.+i; 72.80.Tm