Low-temperature thermal properties of polypropylene

Abstract

We have studied the low temperature thermal properties of a polypropylene copolymer (PP): thermal conductivity (between 0.1 and 4 K), specific heat (between 0.06 and 1 K) and thermal expansion (from 4.2 K to room temperature). Both the thermal conductivity and the specific heat temperature data were interpreted using the tunnelling model for phonon scattering. The measured thermal properties show that PP is suitable for use as thermal insulating support material in cryogenic devices.