Effect of BN filler on thermal properties of HDPE matrix composites

The effects of boron nitride (BN) content and particle size on the thermal properties of BN/high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were investigated. The thermal conductivities and thermal diffusivities of the composites were dependent on the BN content. For composites with same amount of BN, the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity increased with an increase in the size of the BN particles. Composites with a mixture of different-sized BN particles exhibited higher thermal conductivities than those of composites with single-sized BN particles. The specific heat capacities of the composites were also affected by the BN content and particle size. Several theoretical models were employed to predict the effective thermal conductivities of the composites, and the predicted values were compared with those obtained experimentally.