Improvement in thermal conductivity of paraffin by adding high aspect-ratio carbon-based nano-fillers

Journal Name: Physics Letters A
Volume: 377
Issue: 19
Page: 1358–1361
Year: 2013

List of Authors:

Hasan Babaei, Pawel Keblinski, J.M. Khodadadi

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations have been utilized to study thermal conductivity of liquid and solid mixtures of paraffin and carbon-base high aspect-ratio nano-additives, i.e. carbon nanotubes and graphene. In agreement with existing experimental data, we observe high enhancement in thermal conductivity through adding these graphitic nano-additives into paraffin, particularly in the solid phase. We demonstrate that this significant improvement is mainly achieved by the enhancement in thermal conductivity of the matrix itself. This is caused by carbon nanotubes and graphene inducing ordering of the matrix molecules which consequently leads to improvement in its thermal conductivity.