Intrachain and Interchain Thermal Conduction in Polymers

Abstract

It is shown here that oriented polymers are good candidates to get a better understanding of the thermal conductivity in semi-crystalline polymers. By measuring the thermal conductivity parallel and perpendicular to the polymer chains as a function of temperature, the thermal-transfer mechanisms along and across the chains could be identified. The mechanisms leading to the thermal-conductivity increase upon stretching will be discussed