Using different calculations and measurement methods, the results for the thermal conductivity in a single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) are compared. Then, the interface thermal resistance effects on the effective thermal conductivity of multiple SWNTs in a hexagonal packing system submerged in oil, air, and water are studied. The results show that as the interface thermal resistance increases, the effective thermal conductivity decreases. Moreover, length, length fraction, and volume fraction effects on the thermal conductivity of the system submerged in a water medium are approximated by including the interface thermal resistances of the nanotube-matrix and nanotube-nanotube. The systems’ length ranged between 500–3000 nm. The created models contain either vertically aligned or non-straight nanotubes. Non-straight nanotubes systems make one or two contact points with other nanotubes. These contact points’ location vary based on the length ratio known as the length fraction. It is found that the effective thermal conductivity of the SWNT bundle has the highest value when they are uniformly aligned and dispersed without contact. As the density and length of the SWNTs increase, the effective thermal conductivity of the bundle system also increases.
Thermal conductivity of PbTe–CoSb3 bulk polycrystalline composite: role of microstructure and interface thermal resistance
