The Effect of Thermal Contact Number on the Tube⁻Tube Contact Conductance of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Xueming Yang,Bingyang Cao,Xinyao Zhang

doi:10.3390/nano9030477

Xueming Yang, Bingyang Cao + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9030477

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Abstract

The contact conductance of single, double, and triple thermal contacts of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Our results showed that the effect of the thermal contact number on the contact conductance was not as strong as previously reported. The percentages of contact conductance of double and triple thermal contacts were about 72% and 67%, respectively, compared to that of a single thermal contact. Moreover, we found that the contact conductance of the double and triple thermal contacts was associated with the SWCNT length and the positional relationship of the thermal contacts.

Highlights

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1] have extraordinarily high thermal conductivity
Ssiimncuelathtieorne.isTnhoe cvhaelmueicaisl baolnsod ccolonsneectotiotnhe betutwbee–etnutbheecCoNntTasc,ttchoenadtuomctaicnicneteorfa5c0tiponWb/Ketwobeteaninthede CbyNPTsraisshwereleltdaels.c[r9i]b,ewdhboyutsheedLtJhpeoMteDntimale. thod basIendaopnrtehveioTuesrssotuffdaynbdyLPJrapsohteenr teiat lala.n[d9],thaesiantogmleiCc NGTreaennd’s tfwunocptiaorna.llSeilnCceNtThsecreonisstnitoutcehdemtwicoal thbeornmdalcocnonnteacctitos,nthbeetwdiesetanntcheebCeNtwTese,nthteheattowmoicthinertemraacl tcioonntbaecttws weeans t8h.e16CÅN,Tasnids wtheellwdaelsl-ctroib-wedalbl y ditshteanLcJepooftetnhteiatlw. o CNTs which comprised each thermal contact was 3.4 Å; their results showed that the tube–tube contact conductance was less than 1/10 of that of the single thermal contact
Our results showed that the effect of the thermal contact number on the contact conductance was not as strong as that reported by Prasher et al The contact conductance of the double and triple thermal contacts were about 72% and 67%, respectively, compared to that of a single thermal contact

Summary

Introduction

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1] have extraordinarily high thermal conductivity. The theoretical study by Berber et al [2] showed that the thermal conductivity of individual CNTs reached 6000 Wm−1K−1 at room temperature. The thermal conductivity of individual single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) measured by Pop et al [3] was close to 3500 Wm−1K−1 at room temperature. CNTs have broad application prospects in the field of thermal management due to their excellent thermal conductivity. They can be used to improve the thermal conductivity of polymer matrices and for the construction of self-supporting CNT network structures. The thermal conductivity of a CNT network can be tuned by changing the orientation, distribution, and connection of individual CNTs

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