Comparison of the influence of Cu micro- and nano-particles on the thermal properties of polyethylene/Cu composites

Abstract

Abstract. Polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE) composites with different copper (micro-and nano-sized particles) contents were prepared by melt mixing and compression moulding. The melting and crystallization behaviour of the different composites was analysed using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and the thermal stability in a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The thermal conductivities of the samples were also determined. The DSC results show that the Cu micro-and nano-particles influence the crystallization behaviour of the polyethylenes in different ways. The extent to which the copper particles influence the crystallization behaviour of the polyethylenes also depends on the respective morphologies of the different polyethylenes. The TGA results show an observable influence of both the presence of copper and the sizes of the copper particles on the thermal stabilities of the polymers. Thermal conductivities increased with increasing Cu content, but there was little difference between the thermal conductivities of the samples containing Cu micro-and nano-particles.

Thermally conductive phase-change materials for energy storage based on low-density polyethylene, soft Fischer–Tropsch wax and graphite

“…Some of them [9,10] There are very few reports on the improvement of the thermal conductivity of polyethylene/PCM blend materials. Molefi et al [15][16][17] investigated the morphology, thermal and thermomechanical properties, as well as the thermal conductivities, of different polyethylenes mixed with different amounts of Fischer-Tropsch paraffin wax, as well as different amounts of copper micro-and nanoparticles. They found that the presence of the wax had the biggest influence on the mechanical properties of the phase-change composites, and that the wax preferably crystallized around the copper particles.…”

Roles of Calcium, Zinc, Copper and Titanium Compounds on the Degradation of Polymers

“…Its influences toward the thermal, mechanical, physical and electrical properties of vast range of polymer blends have been continuously studied by researchers since years ago [116] . Apart from the pure metal, other copper-based fillers such as copper (II) nitrite (CuN), copper (I) oxide (Cu 2 O), copper (II) oxide (CuO) and other copper-based halides (CuX) have also been reported for showing remarkable effects on the thermal stabilities of various polymer composites [117][118][119] . Here, a critical review of the impacts of Cu powder and various copper-based fillers towards polymer degradation are discussed.…”

“…The decrease in T m was attributed to the reduction of chain mobility which became more significant when the content of Cu increased. This potentially restricted the growth of crystal structures in the polymer matrix and eventually causing the composites to be melted at relatively lower temperature [117] . On the other hand, the increase of T c was attributed to the presence of Cu particles that acted as a nucleating agent and increased the ratio of nucleation when the Cu content incorporated increases [118] .…”

Synthesis and thermal analysis of aluminium nitride filled epoxy composites and its effective application as thermal interface material for LED applications

“…Various polymer matrices such as low and high density polyethylene, silicone based materials like vinyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, and silicone elastomers are among the widely used materials as matrices in composite preparation [16][17][18][19]. Besides these polymers, bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) epoxy resin has been reported with many of its favourable properties such as high modulus, low creep, reasonable performance at elevated temperatures, excellent dielectric properties, good chemical resistance, and dimensional stability [20] which fit well with the application as interface material.…”