Breaking the thermal barrier: Investigating effective heat transfer in polymer composites

Modeling the thermal behavior of composite materials made up of two distinct phases (a discontinuous phase dispersed in a continuous phase) has been the subject of numerous studies for over a century, as exemplified by Maxwell's work on heat transfer in heterogeneous media. Many models overestimate or underestimate the thermal conductivity of composite materials. This is due to the difficulty of modeling heat propagation in heterogeneous media. However, several models have been developed which are very close to experimental results. The application of 3D numerical models offers a promising approach to predict thermal conductivity, utilizing material properties and volume fractions to achieve more accurate estimations. However, discrepancies persist when comparing model predictions with empirical data, suggesting areas for further refinement in computational methodologies. Ultimately, this synthesis underscores the necessity of integrating experimental, numerical, and analytical approaches to enhance the reliability of thermal conductivity assessments in composite materials.