Thermal Conductivity of Al2O3/Poly(vinyl butyral) Composites

In this study, the effects of orientation of Al2O3 on the thermal conductivity of poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) composites filled with platelet-shaped Al2O3 ceramics were investigated as function of Al2O3 content. On increasing the ceramic content, it was observed that the thermal conductivity of the composites increased because of the higher thermal conductivity of Al2O3 compared with that of the PVB. The thermal conductivity of the composites was affected by the orientation of ceramics. The measured thermal conductivity of the composites was compared with the effective thermal conductivity calculated by various theoretical models. The thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity of the composites were also discussed.