Novel, Cost Effective, and Reliable Method for Thermal Conductivity Measurement.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Composites
• Thermal Properties

Background:

• Polyurethane composites are widely used, but their thermal conductivity needs precise characterization.
• Nanoparticle incorporation significantly alters composite thermal properties.
• Accurate measurement techniques are crucial for optimizing material performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, cost-effective experimental setup for measuring the thermal conductivity of polyurethane composites.
• To assess the influence of varying nanoparticle content on thermal conductivity.
• To provide a reliable tool for both research and educational purposes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a custom experimental setup for thermal conductivity measurement.
• Comparative analysis with a professional instrument (TPS 2500 S).
• Validation using a standard reference material (0.200 W/m/K) and testing under ambient temperature variations (20-30°C).
• Application of noise reduction and smoothing techniques for data processing.

Main Results:

• The novel setup demonstrated high agreement with the professional instrument, indicating precise measurements.
• Validation with a standard material confirmed the setup's accuracy.
• The system showed stability against ambient temperature fluctuations.
• The developed method achieved 5% accuracy.

Conclusions:

• A novel, cost-effective, and reliable setup for measuring the thermal conductivity of polyurethane composites has been successfully developed and validated.
• The setup is suitable for diverse applications, including research and educational settings.
• This method provides accurate thermal conductivity data for nanoparticle-modified polyurethane composites.