Establishment of accuracy limits and standards for comparative thermal conductivity measurements

New techniques have been developed for reducing thermal conductivity data from thermal comparative measurements. The first of these techniques is based on making a Taylor-series expansion of the stack centerline temperature profile. The result is an expression giving the ratio of sample to reference conductivities at any temperature as a function of measured quantities, the stack thermocouple readings and stack element thicknesses. The conventional formula presently used to reduce comparative conductivity data is shown to be a special result of the general analysis. A second technique involves the use of linear least-squares (LS) techniques to derive both the sample and the reference conductivities from the measured data. The LS technique provides the coefficients for a polynomial temperature expansion of the reference and sample conductivities directly. Use of the new techniques is illustrated in a reduction of some comparative data on the conductivities of Pyrex 7740 and Pyroceram 9606. It is shown that a highly self-consistent pair of conductivity functions can be derived for these two commonly used reference materials if the conductivity vs temperature relation for Pyrex is modified slightly from its recommended value. The Pyroceram conductivity results from the comparative measurements are in good agreement with a conductivity derived from pulse diffusivity and differential scanning calorimetry measurements and also in good agreement with the recommended Pyroceram conductivity function.Paper presented at the Ninth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 24–27, 1985, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Thermal diffusion in nanostructured porous InP

Nanostructured porous InP samples were prepared by electrochemical anodic dissolution of InP for various current densities and etching periods. The samples were characterized by SEM and photoluminescence (PL) where a blue shift was observed in PL. Thermal properties studied by photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy revealed one order decrease in thermal conductivity of porous InP compared to the bulk. Further it is shown that the thermal conductivity of porous InP decreases with decrease in size of the particles.     

Synergy effects of hybrid carbon system on properties of composite bipolar plates for fuel cells

A hybrid carbon system of graphite powder (GP) and continuous carbon fibre fabric (CFF) is used for an epoxy composite to improve the electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and mouldability of a composite bipolar plate. These improvements are achieved simultaneously by inserting several layers of CFF into the GP/epoxy composite to enhance the mechanical properties and in-plane conductivity. The electrical properties, flexural strength and mouldability of the composite plates are measured as a function of conducting filler content and number of CFF layers. The composites show improved electrical conductivity, flexural properties and mouldability. Composites with 70-75 vol.% carbon fillers have the highest electrical conductivity with reasonable flexural properties. These results suggest that the poor mouldability and low through-plane electrical conductivity of the continuous fibre composite bipolar plate, as well as the weak flexural properties of GP composites, can be overcome by incorporating a GP/CFF hybrid system.     

Influence of ammonia on the conductivity of Nafion membranes

The effect of NH₃ and NH₄⁺ poisoning on the conductivity of Nafion membranes was investigated via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The conductivities of membranes prepared with different NH₄⁺ compositions were measured in deionized water at room temperature and compared to those at 80 °C in a gas phase for various relative humidities. The liquid-phase conductivity decreased linearly with an increase in the NH₄⁺ composition in the membrane (y_NH4⁺), with that of the NH₄⁺-form having a conductivity 25% that of the H⁺-form. The gas-phase conductivity of the NH₄⁺-form, on the other hand, declined by 66–98% relative to the H⁺-form depending on humidity. The conductivities of fresh membranes in the presence of gas-phase NH₃ at different humidities were also studied. The conductivity decreased with time-on-stream and reached the same conductivity at a given humidity regardless of the NH₃ concentration, but the time to reach steady-state varied with NH₃ concentration. The y_NH4⁺ at steady-state conductivity was equivalent for all the NH₃ concentrations studied. The kinetics of conductivity decrease was slower at higher humidities. The humidity and y_NH4⁺ appear to have a concerted effect on the conductivity. The quantitative conductivity data under practical fuel cell conditions should be useful for future fuel cell modeling.     

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Effects of Oxygen Removal on the Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Nitride

High thermal conductivity, low dielectric constant, high electrical resistivity, low density, and a thermal expansion coefficient that matches well with that of silicon are the principal attributes of AIN that have attracted much attention over the past decade. It is also now well established that oxygen as an impurity lowers the thermal conductivity of AIN. Processing techniques have been developed which not only facilitate pressureless densification of AIN but also enhance its thermal conductivity. The present work explores the thermodynamics and the kinetics of oxygen removal and the resultant enhancement of thermal conductivity. Polycrystalline AIN ceramics were fabricated with Y₂O₃, Dy₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, CaO, BaO, or MgO as additives. Samples were sinter/annealed at 1850°C for up to 1000 min. The AIN grain size of sintered samples ranged between 2 and 9 μm. The samples typically contained two or three phases with the predominant phase being AIN. Secondary phases in Y₂O₃-doped AIN consisted of yttrium aluminates which were along three grain junctions and along grain facets. The presence of Y₃Al₅O₁₂, YAIO₃, and Y₄Al₂O₉, as well as Y₂O₃, depending upon the Y₂O₃/Al₂O₃ ratio, was revealed by X-ray diffraction. Thermal conductivity increased with the amount of additive and annealing time. Thermal conductivity also depended on the type of additive. Samples with thermal conductivity up to 200 W/(m · K) were fabricated. The variation in thermal conductivity with the type and the amount of the additive is explained on the basis of the thermodynamics of oxygen removal. In particular, the higher thermal conductivity of CaO-doped, in comparison with MgO-doped, samples is rationalized on the basis that the free energy of formation, ΔG°, of CaAl₂O₄ is less than that of MgAl₂O₄. It is proposed that the higher the |ΔG°|, with ΔG° < 0, the higher is the resultant thermal conductivity. An increase in the thermal conductivity with annealing time is attributed to the kinetics of oxygen removal from AIN grains.     

HEAT AND MOISTURE TRANSFER IN CAPILLARY-POROUS BODIES SOME EXPERIMENTAL METHODS OF INVESTIGATION

This paper presents a synthesis of our scientific activity in the area of heat and moisture transfers in capillary-porous bodies. The materials which have been under investigation are essentially in the field of Civil Engineering but our ways of experimentation may be generalized.

Transfers may be characterized by two independent variables : temperature and water content. We have been concerned by the achievement of measurement technics of these quantities and of perturbation technics of materials at equilibrium.

When comparing a fitting model and the temperature or water content response to such perturbations, it is possible to infer the values of parameters which are significant. Then, the experimental results must be compared with results obtained by other authors or by means of different methods.

In the future, the assumption of an unstrained porous skeleton will not be kept any longer and the coupling of transfers with mechanical phenomena will be considered.     

Ca2YO(BO3)3晶体的热物理性质研究

测量了新型非线性激光晶体Ca2YO(BO3)3（YCOB）的比热及其沿a,b,c三个方向的热膨胀系数，热扩散系数，导热系数，声子平均自由程和等效声速等热物理性质；讨论了属于单斜晶系的YCOB晶体的热物性的各向异性行为；实验结果表明YCOB晶体具有较大的比热和导热系数，其热膨胀系数各向异性相对较小，具有良好的热物理和力学性能。     

The thermoelectric transport through carbon chains

We investigate the thermoelectric transport properties of carbon atomic clusters connected with two Al electrodes using the first-principles density functional analysis combined with the non-equilibrium Green’s function approach. We find that due to the quantum interference the thermopower S changes sign for even-odd number of carbon atoms. The thermal conductance κ is always positive with a similar oscillation between even- and odd-number of carbon atoms. Due to the orthogonalization of the wave functions of the atomic electrodes and the carbon clusters, the electric conductance G is very small for certain range of chemical potentials. Giant thermopower is found in this region. Our results show that the thermopower and thermal conductance are sensitively related to the distance d between the carbon atomic cluster and the Al electrodes. Oscillatory behaviors of S and κ are found as d is varied.     

New polymer synthesis. XXX. Synthesis and thermal behavior of new organometallic polyketones and copolyketones based on diferrocenylidenecycloheptanone

A new interesting category of organometallic polyketones and copolyketones was synthesized via Friedel–Crafts reactions through the polymerization of 2,7‐bis[(2‐ferrocenyl)methylene] cycloheptanone ( II ) with different diacid chlorides. The model compound was synthesized by reacting monomer II with benzoyl chloride and characterized by ¹H‐NMR, IR, and elemental analyses. The polyketones and copolyketones were insoluble in most organic solvents but easily soluble in concentrated H₂SO₄. The thermal properties of these polyketones and copolyketones were evaluated and correlated to their structural units by TGA and DTG measurements and had inherent viscosity of 0.32–0.65 dI g^?1. Moreover, the electrical conductivity of polyketone Va and copolyketone VI was investigated above the temperature range (300–500 K) and followed an Arrhenius equation with activation energy 2.09 eV. Also, the morphological properties of selected example of polyketones were detected by scanning electron microscopy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 2394–2401, 2005     

增塑剂对聚氨酯型固体电解质离子导电性能的影响

利用溶液聚合方法合成了聚醚聚氨酯,并以聚氨酯、高氯酸锂和增塑剂为组分,制备了一系列新型聚合物固体电解质。运用差示扫描量热分析、动态力学分析、交流复阻抗谱、扫描电镜和原子力显微镜对体系性能和形态进行了研究。结果表明,在聚氨酯/高氯酸锂复合物中,增塑剂的加人会导致体系玻璃化转变温度和力学性能有所下降,离子导电性能显著增加。在所研究的6种增塑剂碳酸丙烯酯、碳酸二乙酯、二乙二醇二甲醚、N,N-二甲基甲酰胺、聚乙二醇400和丙三醇中,聚乙二醇400对聚氨酯/高氯酸锂复合物的增塑效果最好,该体系室温电导率达到10-4S／cm。