In this paper, we have studied the effect of short branches (side chains) on the thermal conductivity (TC) of a polyethylene (PE) chain. With a reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (RNEMD) method, TCs of the pristine PE chain and the PE-ethyl chain are simulated and compared. It shows that the branch has a positive effect to decrease the TC of a PE chain. The TC of the PE-ethyl chain decreases with the number density increase of branches, until the density becomes larger than about eight ethyl per 200 segments, where the TC saturates to be only about 40% that of a pristine PE chain. Because of different weights, different branches will cause a different decrease of TCs, and a heavy branch will lead to a lower TC than a light one. This study is expected to provide some fundamental guidance to obtain a polymer with a low TC.
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Research-Article
Decreased Thermal Conductivity of Polyethylene Chain Influenced by Short Chain Branching
Danchen Luo,
Danchen Luo
School of Electrical and Power Engineering,
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
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Congliang Huang,
Congliang Huang
School of Electrical and Power Engineering,
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China;
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Colorado,
Boulder, CO 80309-0427
e-mail: huangcl@cumt.edu.cn
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China;
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Colorado,
Boulder, CO 80309-0427
e-mail: huangcl@cumt.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Zun Huang
Zun Huang
School of Electrical and Power Engineering,
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Danchen Luo
School of Electrical and Power Engineering,
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
Congliang Huang
School of Electrical and Power Engineering,
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China;
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Colorado,
Boulder, CO 80309-0427
e-mail: huangcl@cumt.edu.cn
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China;
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Colorado,
Boulder, CO 80309-0427
e-mail: huangcl@cumt.edu.cn
Zun Huang
School of Electrical and Power Engineering,
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, China
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER. Manuscript received December 30, 2016; final manuscript received July 26, 2017; published online October 25, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Alan McGaughey.
J. Heat Transfer. Mar 2018, 140(3): 031302 (6 pages)
Published Online: October 25, 2017
Article history
Received:
December 30, 2016
Revised:
July 26, 2017
Citation
Luo, D., Huang, C., and Huang, Z. (October 25, 2017). "Decreased Thermal Conductivity of Polyethylene Chain Influenced by Short Chain Branching." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. March 2018; 140(3): 031302. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038003
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