Studyon Thermal Characteristics of Epoxy Composites Filled with Micro Size Rutile Particles

Abstract

This chapter briefly describes the literatures that are studied during this project work thus helps in outlining the objectives of this work. It provides a background based on which current investigation is made. This research deals with the study of thermal characteristics of polymer composites that are filled with rutile particles. In this work the variation of thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion and glass transition temperature with the increase in the volume % of rutile particles is studied numerically through a 3-D model (using APDL software), experimentally as well as analytically. This a work showsthat the FEM serves as excellent predictive tool for assessment of the thermal conductivity of these composites. The theoretical relationship proposed in this work can serve as a very good empirical model for the spherical inclusions for estimating the effective thermal conductivity of composites within the percolation limit. It is observed that combining rutile with epoxy increases the thermal conductivity and the glass transition temperature of the composite while reducing its coefficient of thermal expansion. Because of its light weight and enhanced heat conduction capacity such composites are extensively used in communication devices,imitation granite, construction of buildings and bridges etc.