Influence of part geometry and sample preparation on the thermal conductivity of composites

The thermal conductivity of various thermally conductive thermoplastics commercially available was determined experimentally and is compared with datasheet values. It was found that in most cases the thermal conductivities in-plane and through-plane deviate substantially from the manufacturers' values. The reasons as different measurement methods, part geometry and specimen preparation are discussed and investigated in detail in this paper. It was found that the through-plane thermal conductivity is strongly dependent on sample preparation, e.g. machining of the sample. In order to provide developers with reliable directional thermal conductivity data, the use of standardized methods is recommended.