Thermal conductance of the junction between single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The thermal conductances of the carbon nanotube (CNT) junctions that would be found in a CNT aerogel are predicted using molecular dynamics simulations. At a temperature of 300 K, the thermal conductance of a perpendicular junction converges to 40 pW/K as the CNT lengths approach 100 nm. The key geometric parameter affecting the thermal conductance is the angle formed by the two CNTs. At pressures above 1 bar, the presence of a surrounding gas leads to an effective increase in the junction thermal conductance by providing a parallel path for energy flow.