Evaluating the thermal conductivity coefficient of polypropylene/graphene nanocomposites: A hierarchical investigation

Abstract

In this article, we study the thermal conductivity coefficient of the polypropylene composite reinforced by graphene sheets. A hierarchical approach is used for the investigation, which is started by molecular dynamics simulation to evaluate the thermal conductivity coefficient of graphene sheets and continued by the finite element analysis to evaluate the thermal conductivity coefficient of graphene reinforced polypropylene at different temperatures. It is shown that inclusion of the graphene sheets can lead to increasing the thermal conductivity coefficient of the polypropylene, especially when the nanosheets are directed along the temperature difference. Moreover, the higher volume percentages of the graphene sheets in the polymer matrix enhance the thermal conductivity. © IMechE 2021.