Materials Science Forum Submitted: 2019-01-29

ISSN: 1662-9752, Vol. 973, pp 9-14 Accepted: 2019-02-26

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.973.9 Online: 2019-11-20
© 2019 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland

Determination of the Thermal Conductivity of Metal-Polymers

Copyright © 2019. Trans Tech Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable

Mikhail S. CHEPCHUROV1,a*, Nikolay S. LUBIMYI2,b,

Vladimir P. VORONENKO3,c, Daniel R. ADENIYI4,d
BSTU named after V. G. Shukhov, Kostukova str., 46, Belgorod, Russia
1,2,4

3
Moscow State Technological University "STANKIN", Vadkovsky str., 1, Moscow, Russia
a
avtpost@mail.ru, bPershin26@yandex.ru, cvpvoronenko@yandex.ru, dadeniyidaniel3@gmail.com

Introduction
The process of casting thermoplastic polymers occurs at temperatures of the melt injected into
the mold cavity from 190 to 300, at an average of 240, at this range the temperature of the mold
cavity ranges between 15…100[1] ,depending on the material of the melt. Theoretical studies of the
practical experiments allowed the authors to prove the possibility of obtaining and using forming
elements from metals with different composition [2] [3]. However in the casting of thermoplastics,
the tooling undergoes significant thermal effects. Cooling time of the molded product in the mold
significantly influences the duration of the whole casting cycle. Thus, in [4] is presented data on the
duration of extrusion of a characteristic product, in this it is given that a complete cycle of obtaining
a product by injection molding is 40 seconds. A considerable part of the cycle time to obtain the
product constitutes the holding time of the melt after injection into the molding cavity, that is, the
time necessary for the conclusion of the crystallization process of the thermoplastic in the molding
cavity. The choice of construction of the mold cooling system therefore is an answerable procedure,
as the cooling time affects the duration of forming of the product. In this way, the material of the
forming surface must have good thermal conductivity in order to ensure heat removal from its
surface to the heat carrier of the cooling system.
In molds with metal-polymers as the forming element, it is necessary to design a mold cooling
system taking into account the thermal conductivity of the metal-polymer composition [5].
However, direct data on the thermal conductivity of metal-polymers in public reference literature
[6] and specialized manufacturers literature was not discovered by the authors of this information
and in the documents of the manufacturers of metal-polymers. And for the analysis of the casting
process of plastics, determining the cooling time of the product, requires the thermal conductivity of
the material, in this case the value of the coefficient itself may vary depending on the temperature of
the material.
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Methodological Basis
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To determine the thermal conductivity, in studying GOST [7] [8], an experiment was performed
by heating a sample cube made from metal-polymer composition, filled with aluminum solidified in
a vacuum. In the course of the experiment, a laboratory installation based on the recommendations
given in [9] was used; the installation scheme is shown in fig [1].

Fig. 1. Outline for determining the temperature change at the surface boundary of a metal-
polymer sample
According to the outline, in figure 3.4, the heat isolation element 3 with an installation of metal-
polymers sample 2 with size 20 × 20 mm on it, was located above the source of infra-red beam 5
with a power of 75 Watt in the casing 4. Further, using the infra-red pyrometer 1, measurements of
the temperature of outer boundaries were carried out for a period of 16 minutes 30 seconds with an
interval of 30 seconds. The distance D from the pyrometer 1 to the metal-polymer sample 2 is
calculated from the conditions that D:S = 12:1, where S - surface area of the metal-polymer sample.
It should be noted that, the distance from the sample to the pyrometer is calculated according to
its maker’s specifications, the authors had an electronic pyrometer at their disposal, the use of a heat
visor that records data in its memory in real time.
The obtained values for temperature are presented in Table 1 and are valid for samples of metal-
polymer composition, solidified in a vacuum at pressure of 0.2 kg/cm2.
Table 1. Change in temperature of the boundary of metal-polymer sample in time.
Heating period t, [sec] T rev., [°С] Heating period t, [sec] T rev., [°С]
0 28.9 510 65.5
30 28.8 540 67.6
60 30 570 68.8
90 32 600 70.9
120 34.3 630 72.5
150 37.6 660 74
180 40.6 690 75.7
210 43.6 720 77.2
240 46 750 78.4
270 49.1 780 80.1
300 51.4 810 81.1
330 53.8 840 82.2
360 56.4 870 83.5
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390 58.1 900 84.5

420 60.2 930 85.5
450 62.5 960 86.3
480 64 990 87.1
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To determine the thermal conductivity of the metal-polymer sample with aluminium filler, the
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authors used the longitudinal heat flow method [11] [12]. The longitudinal heat flow method is
widely used in the study of metals and other solid materials. According to this method, a uniform
heat flux Q is created at one end of the sample with a cross-sectional area S. Between two sample
sections at a distance l from one another, temperature difference is measured. In the
absence of lateral heat losses, thermal conductivity of the sample is calculated by the formula:

(1)

The experimental setup satisfies the conditions for determining thermal conductivity by
longitudinal heat flow method; hence the same method can be used to determine the thermal
conductivity of a metal-polymer with aluminium filler.
In the carried out experimental study, the value of heat flux Q was 75Wt. Cross-sectional area
S=400mm2 or S= 0,0004m2. Length of the sample l = 20mm or l = 0,02m. Temperature of the
sample surface in time is given in table 1.
Knowing the values of the variables, we calculate the thermal conductivity of a metal-polymer
with aluminium filler, for example, in the time interval between 30s and 60s of heating:
To obtain an approximate value of the thermal conductivity of the metal-polymer, it is necessary
to determine the thermal conductivity of the test material every 30 seconds from the start of the
experiment. The calculated data for the thermal conductivity λ is summarized in the table.
Table 2. Thermal Conductivity of metal-polymer with aluminium filler

Heating time t, Heating time t,

T rev., [°С] λ T rev., [°С] λ
[sec] [sec]
0 28.9 -37.50 510 65.5 1.79
30 28.8 3.13 540 67.6 3.12
60 30 1.88 570 68.8 1.79
90 32 1.63 600 70.9 2.34
120 34.3 1.14 630 72.5 2.50
150 37.6 1.25 660 74 2.21
180 40.6 1.25 690 75.7 2.50
210 43.6 1.56 720 77.2 3.12
240 46 1.21 750 78.4 2.21
270 49.1 1.63 780 80.1 3.75
300 51.4 1.56 810 81.1 3.41
330 53.8 1.44 840 82.2 2.88
360 56.4 2.21 870 83.5 3.75
390 58.1 1.79 900 84.5 3.75
420 60.2 1.63 930 85.5 4.69
450 62.5 2.50 960 86.3 4.69
480 64 2.50 990 87.1 -0.04

For the approximation and analysis of the obtained results based on the calculated data in the
table 3.2 [13], [14], a graph of the change in thermal conductivity of the metal-polymer with
aluminium filler against time was plotted in fig 2. To process the experimental data the authors used
the SciLab package which provides convenient functions for processing data arrays and their
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graphical interpretations [15], [16].

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From the graph shown in fig 2, it is evident that in the first 30 seconds, thermal conductivity has
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a negative value. This is due to the fact that in the 30 seconds interval from the start of the
experiment, the thermal energy was not able to spread to the opposite side of the sample, and the
temperature difference is explained as measurement error. In the initial period of time, the heat
conductivity index tends to 0, from 990 seconds of the measurement, it is necessary to exclude from
the calculations because of the absence of the next index. Thus, for analysis we'll use the graph of
thermal conductivity of metal-polymer in the time period of 30 - 960 seconds of measurement.

Fig. 2. Change in thermal conductivity of metal-polymer over time

Fig. 3. The dependence of conductivity on temperature and time

From the graph in figure 2, it is evident that the average value of the thermal conductivity of
metal-polymer with aluminum filler corresponds to a value of 3.13 W/m•K°.

Discussions and Conclusion

According to the graph of the change in thermal conductivity against time with respect to
temperature (fig 3), at the temperature range of about 50 C°, thermal conductivity has a practically
stable value.
Due to the theory of thermal conductivity of solid bodies, in thermal insulators with increasing
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temperature thermal conductivity increases [6] which explains the positive trend of the graph as
shown in fig 1.

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 Materials Science Forum Vol. 973 13

Results from the study makes it possible to determine the values of thermal conductivity of a
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metal-polymer filled with aluminum, in this case, that value of thermal conductivity of the
investigated material is stable for output temperature of products from molding. Obtained values of
the change in thermal conductivity can be used as properties of materials in applications databases,
for example for the numerical modeling of molding process by injection under pressure of
thermoplastics.
The value of thermal conductivity calculated during the course of the experiment makes it
possible to carry out necessary calculations on the heating of metal-polymers and in machining
calculations, and also to calculate the parameters for thermo-stating metal- polymer molds.
The article was prepared within development program of the Flagship Regional University on
the basis of Belgorod State Technological University named after V. G. Shukhov, using equipment
of High Technology Center at BSTU named after V. G. Shukhov.

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