Computational simulation of the thermal conductivity of MMCs under consideration of the inclusion-matrix interface

Abstract

The present study aims to improve the modeling capabilities and understanding of heat conduction in composite materials. Special attention is paid to the effects of imperfectly bonded constituents, i.e. the presence of interfacial thermal resistances. Mori-Tanaka mean field approaches, among them newly developed methods, and a periodic microfield approach form the backbone of computational methods. They are employed in this work to predict the effective conductivity of composites. Single inclusion problems (i.e. solitary, imperfectly bonded inclusions embedded in an isotropic, unbounded matrix), are studied and analytical and numerical solution procedures are developed which enable the treatment of the problems posed. Results are presented primarily for carbon-copper composites where different microgeometries are investigated. The Mori- Tanaka predictions are compared with unit cell predictions, as well as with experimental results.