Fiber thermal conductivity

Ceramic Fiber Thermal conductivity, Loop Material Compatibility... 

The role of fiber thermal conductivity was also pointed out [54] the temperature gradient developing during cooling at the interface between fiber and matrix caused by the mismatch of their thermal conductivity facilitated transcrystaUization. 

Fig. 2. Thermal conductivity of refractories where ASF = aluminosiUcate fiber and ZF = 2ii conia fiber. See Table 13 for group classifications (5,25).

The most important properties of refractory fibers are thermal conductivity, resistance to thermal and physical degradation at high temperatures, tensile strength, and elastic modulus. Thermal conductivity is affected by the material s bulk density, its fiber diameter, the amount of unfiberized material in the product, and the mean temperature of the insulation. Products fabricated from fine fibers with few unfiberized additions have the lowest thermal conductivities at high temperatures. A plot of thermal conductivity versus mean temperature for three oxide fibers having equal bulk densities is shown in Figure 2. 

Fig. 2. Thermal conductivity of refractory fiber insulations with 96-mg/cm density.

Fig. 3. Effect of density on thermal conductivity. A, 48-mg/cm siUca fiber B, 96-mg/cm siUca fiber C, 128-mg/cm alumina—siUca fiber D, 192-mg/cm ...

Thermal Conductivity and Heat Capacity. Most fibers have similar thermal conductivities and heat capacities. The insulating characteristics of textiles are more related to fabric geometry than they are dependent on fiber thermal characteristics. 

Polyurethane. Polyurethanes (pu) are predominantly thermosets. The preparation processes for polyurethane foams have several steps (see Urethane polymers) and many variations that lead to products of widely differing properties. Polyurethane foams can have quite low thermal conductivity values, among the lowest of all types of thermal insulation, and have replaced polystyrene and glass fiber as insulation in refrigeration. The sprayed-on foam can be appHed to walls, roofs, tanks, and pipes, and between walls or surfacing materials directly. The slabs can be used as insulation in the usual ways. 

Fig. 8. Comparison of electrical and thermal conductivity of PAN- and pitch-based carbon fiber to metals, where P = pitch, T = Thornel, and...

Because of their unique blend of properties, composites reinforced with high performance carbon fibers find use in many structural applications. However, it is possible to produce carbon fibers with very different properties, depending on the precursor used and processing conditions employed. Commercially, continuous high performance carbon fibers currently are formed from two precursor fibers, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and mesophase pitch. The PAN-based carbon fiber dominates the ultra-high strength, high temperature fiber market (and represents about 90% of the total carbon fiber production), while the mesophase pitch fibers can achieve stiffnesses and thermal conductivities unsurpassed by any other continuous fiber. This chapter compares the processes, structures, and properties of these two classes of fibers. 

In contrast, there is also current interest in investigating PAN-based fibers in low thermal conductivity composites [62], Such fibers are carbonized at low temperature and offer a substitute to rayon-based carbon fibers in composites designed for solid rocket motor nozzles and exit cones. 

Edie, D. D., Robinson, K. E., Fleurot, O., Jones, S. P. and Fain, C. C., High thermal conductivity ribbon fibers from naphthalene-based mesophase. Carbon, 1994, 32(6), 1045 1054. 

Since weight is frequently a factor in the applications of composite structures, values for eleetrical and thermal conductivity, and tensile strength and modulus are even more impressive when normalized by the mass of the fiber. 

Applied Sciences, Inc. has, in the past few years, used the fixed catalyst fiber to fabricate and analyze VGCF-reinforced composites which could be candidate materials for thermal management substrates in high density, high power electronic devices and space power system radiator fins and high performance applications such as plasma facing components in experimental nuclear fusion reactors. These composites include carbon/carbon (CC) composites, polymer matrix composites, and metal matrix composites (MMC). Measurements have been made of thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), tensile strength, and tensile modulus. Representative results are described below. 

It has been reported that the room temperature thermal conductivity of single fiber VGCF is 1950 W/mK [27]. Flowever, the room temperature thermal conductivity of VGCF mat may irot be comparable to that of single fibers. Since the thermal conductivity of VGCF mat has not been measui ed or determined, the following... 

All VGCF was graphitized prior to composite consolidation. Composites were molded in steel molds lined with fiberglass reinforced, non-porous Teflon release sheets. The finished composite panels were trimmed of resin flash and weighed to determine the fiber fraction. Thermal conductivity and thermal expansion measurements of the various polymer matrix composites are given in Table 6. Table 7 gives results from mechanical property measurements. 

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