• Volume shrinkage of composites during drying is dominated by reduction in height. • The positive correlation between growth duration and tensile strength is limited. • Vigorous growth is not a safe indicator for strong composites. • Mycelium-bound wheat straw composites exhibit thermal conductivity of ∼ 40 mW/(m∙K) • Removal of surface mycelium can limit humidity uptake and thus thermal conductivity. Mycelium-bound composites enable circular material use by binding bio-based substrates with fungal mycelium into lightweight materials that can be recycled or composted. Optimizing material properties for specific applications depends on pairing suitable substrates and fungi. Fungal selection is often guided by growth speed without considering whether rapid vigor leads to optimal adhesion. Similarly, the influence of mycelium on key properties such as humidity uptake or thermal conductivity remains insufficiently understood. The current study characterized mycelium-bound composites from Ganoderma sessile and Trametes versicolor on green waste, wheat straw, and a mixture of wheat straw and kapok in terms of dimensional stability, humidity response, tensile strength, and thermal conductivity. A deeper understanding was gained by investigating the effects of composite orientation on shrinkage during the drying process, the influence of growth duration on mechanical performance, and the contribution of the surface mycelium on thermal conductivity. Our data revealed a strong preference for height shrinkage during drying compared to the other dimensions, which can be attributed to fiber orientation. While fast-growing fungi such as G. sessile establish adhesion quickly, they can be surpassed by slower species ( T. versicolor ) in the long run. Moreover, strong surface growth can increase humidity uptake, negatively affecting thermal insulation performance. Finally, while composites with wheat straw exhibited competitive thermal conductivities compared to conventional insulators, values for composites with green waste were around 30 % higher. Overall, our findings provide guidance for optimal material design in terms of shape, insulation performance, and stability.

Aramid nanofiber (ANF) composites are promising thermal interface materials due to their excellent mechanical and thermal stability, prominent electrical insulation properties, flame retardance and remarkable chemical corrosion resistance, making them capable of operating under extreme conditions. However, their low intrinsic thermal conductivity limits their application for heat dissipation in high-power electrical components. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in enhancing the thermal conductivity of ANF composites from three critical perspectives: filler selection and design, interface modification strategies, and construction of ordered thermal-conduction pathways. We summarize the advantages of composites with different types of thermally conductive fillers (ceramic, carbon, metal, and MXene fillers), analyze the effects of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, and chemical crosslinking on interfacial thermal resistance, and discuss 0D/1D/2D, gradient and multilayer ordered thermal-conduction pathway design for achieving high thermal conductivity. Future challenges and research directions are also proposed, providing guidance for the development of next-generation high-performance thermal management materials.

Effect of high Gd2O3 content on the thermal conductivity of UO2-Gd2O3 fuels

Enhanced thermal conductivity and sinterability of magnesia via nano-powder addition: Control of pore formation and densification

Analysis of double stratification on heat and mass diffusion in Maxwell fluid along with temperature-dependent viscosity and activation energy.

This study investigates the creation of eco-efficient gypsum plaster composites that integrate untreated textile waste (TW) with a hybrid experimental-computational methodology that combines machine learning (ML) prediction with multi-objective metaheuristic optimization. Prismatic specimens of 40 × 40 × 160 mm were fabricated with TW concentrations varying from 0% to 1% and water-to-plaster (W/P) ratios between 0.55 and 0.70. The composites were evaluated for rheological parameters (initial and final setting times, spreadability), durability (capillary absorption), mechanical performance (compressive strength [CS] and flexural strength [FS]), and thermal conductivity (TC). The results indicated that TW markedly affected plaster performance: a 0.75% TW addition produced the maximum compressive strength (11.67 MPa) and flexural strength (4.17 MPa), while thermal conductivity reduced from 0.20 to 0.15 W/m·K, hence improving thermal insulation. Nonetheless, workability was diminished—spreadability decreased from 210 mm to 130 mm, and initial setting time reduced from 7 to 3 min—underscoring a trade-off. A deep neural network enhanced by the Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (DNN–IGWO) attained superior prediction accuracy (R² > 0.95), proficiently simulating nonlinear relationships between TW and W/P ratios. A genetic algorithm (GA) produced a Pareto front of 71 non-dominated solutions, optimizing strength, thermal performance, and workability. Optimal formulations were achieved at W/P ratios of 0.55–0.65 and TW levels of 0.25–1 wt%, enabling the development of high-performance, sustainable gypsum composites derived from industrial textile by-products. The findings support the incorporation of recycled textiles in construction and illustrate how data-driven optimization can inform the advancement of sustainable gypsum-based materials utilizing industrial by-products.

Building 3D “point-plane” thermal conduction networks with in-situ fabricated graphitic carbon nitride@nanodiamond heterostructures for highly thermally conductive epoxy composites

Influence of TBM excavation on the thermal conductivity and permeability characteristics of granite surrounding rock

Segregated structure of polyolefin composites with PAPP/MPP/BN and co-enhancement of flame retardancy and thermal conductivity

This study evaluates the environmental impacts and thermal performance of fired and unfired bricks incorporating Para Rubber Latex (PRL). Samples were collected from eight traditional and small-scale production sites in Ayutthaya provinces, Thailand. A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted with measurement-based thermal analysis of 1 × 1 m wall panels under hot-humid climate conditions. Fired bricks exhibited total emissions of approximately 474.54 gCO₂e per brick, with the firing stage (Module A3) contributing 53.86.%, dominated by biogenic CO₂ released from rice husk combustion. In contrast, unfired bricks emitted only 336.56 gCO₂e per brick, mainly from transportation and cement use (Module A2), accounting for 88.77 % of total emissions—an 29.07 % reduction compared to fired bricks. PRL incorporation induced favorable microstructural modification, forming a continuous polymer film that reduced pore connectivity, leading to lower water absorption and enhanced thermal insulation. The PRL5 % mixture achieved balanced performance, improving compressive strength by 3.0 % while maintaining low thermal conductivity. Thermal analysis revealed that fired brick walls, with higher thermal conductivity (1.12 W/m·K), experienced faster and greater internal temperature fluctuations (ΔT_in=10.0°C). Unfired bricks, with lower conductivity (0.4253 W/m·K), maintained better thermal stability, maintaining a time lag of under one hour. For a 10 m² wall, unfired bricks reduced average heat loss by up to 78.81 % and lowered CO₂ emissions over fourfold compared to fired bricks. Overall, unfired rubberized bricks—especially those with 2.5–5 % rubber latex (PRL2.5–PRL5)—demonstrate strong potential as low-carbon, energy-efficient alternatives for sustainable building applications.

Reduced graphene oxide/Fe3O4 composite material integrated with electromagnetic wave absorption, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance

Films with large anisotropy ratios (r) between the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity (κ) can be used for directional heat spreading in electronics thermal management. Here, we show that commercially available solution-spun carbon nanotube (CNT) films with 20 μm thickness and centimeter-scale lateral dimensions exhibit orthotropic thermal conductivity with the highest reported r to date, reaching r = 1400 ± 160 at room temperature (T). We find r using laser flash thermal diffusivity (α) measurements over a T range from 198 to 573 K. Dedoping of acid residuals via annealing increases the in-plane-aligned αx of dedoped samples by a factor of 2 compared to the doped samples. These dedoped CNT films also display a strong αx ∝ T-1.1 scaling, indicating that phonon-phonon scattering impacts heat transport along the direction of alignment. Our work motivates further exploration of ultrahigh r in macroscopic CNT materials and applications of CNT films for directional heat spreading.

Achieving synergistically elevated strength and thermal conductivity in Cu-Cr-Zr/carbon fiber composites by constructing Cu/ZrC/Cr3C2/C heterointerfaces

This study combines experimental and theoretical approaches to investigate steady-state, multi-dimensional heat conduction in polymeric fins. Surface temperature fields are measured using infrared thermography, while a normalized two-dimensional heat conduction model is developed and solved via integral transform techniques. Two base boundary conditions — prescribed temperature (Dirichlet) and prescribed heat flux (Neumann) — are analyzed to evaluate their impact on thermal behavior and parameter estimation. The Biot number is estimated using two approaches: (1) an inverse problem solved with the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm and (2) a machine learning model based on Gradient Boosted Trees (GBT). Synthetic data generated from the forward model serve as the training set for the GBT approach, aligning with Problem-Informed Machine Learning (PIML) methodologies. Both approaches are then employed to estimate the convective heat transfer coefficient, while the material’s thermal conductivity is experimentally measured using a Heat Flow Meter (FOX 50). Results indicate that the LM method provides interpretability and strong performance when sensitivity is adequate and regularization is applied, while the GBT demonstrates greater robustness in nonlinear regimes and with ample training data. • Biot number estimation in polymeric fins via inverse problem and machine learning. • Synthetic temperature data from the 2D heat model trained ML for fast Bi prediction. • GBT achieved the best overall performance; Levenberg–Marquardt remained stable. • Infrared imaging experiments confirmed model validity and boundary assumptions. • Both methods achieved < 10 % average Biot error, validating the proposed approach.

A novel effective thermal conductivity model of loose remnant coal porous medium for coal spontaneous combustion in goaf

Tuning thermal conductivity (κ) of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is pivotal for advancing their emerging thermoelectric applications and addressing the heat dissipation bottleneck in gas adsorption processes, yet heat conduction mechanisms in MOFs, particularly from the perspective of intrinsic lattice vibrations, remain elusive, limiting rational thermal engineering. Here, we focus on organic ligand rotational dynamics and elucidate their critical but long-overlooked modulations on thermal transport. Through elaborate atomistic simulations on prototypical MIL-47, we report that low-frequency, anharmonic linker librations dramatically intensify phonon scattering, inducing an over 2-fold reduction in κ. Such a suppression effect is further confirmed to be universal across diverse flexible frameworks featuring rotatable ligands, including the known zeolitic imidazolate and covalent organic families. Accordingly, we evaluate multiple practical strategies to regulate κ by tailoring linker rotational dynamics. These insights open vast avenues for the flexible design of MOFs' thermal performance to meet their energy-related applications.

Numerical study on the radiative efficiency and its sensitivity to effective thermal conductivity and emittance of a cylindrical porous burner

Competitive mechanisms of electron and lattice transport in temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of Al FeCrCoNi high-entropy alloys

Synergistically enhanced thermal conductivity sensor based on AlN@h-BN/MWCNT nanocomposite for SF6 leakage monitoring in GIS

• Determination of radiative properties of ceramic open-cell foams. • Parametric study on material and geometric properties. • Experimental validation of parameter identification. Since ceramic open-cell foams are mostly utilized in high-temperature applications, investigation of their thermophysical properties, regarding radiative heat transfer, is crucial. This study comprises a comprehensive characterization of the radiative properties of various ceramic foams, considering their specific scattering behavior. Spectroscopic measurements performed with a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer are combined with a numerical parameter identification procedure to establish extinction coefficients and scattering albedos using appropriate scattering phase functions. Fundamental differences in the radiation behavior of the foams are demonstrated, depending on whether the struts behave as semi-transparent or opaque. A parametric study revealed the influence of several material and structural parameters on the spectral or temperature-dependent extinction coefficients. At room temperature, when all ceramics behave opaquely, extinction coefficients are affected by the surface reflectivity, but mainly by the geometric properties of the foams (porosity, pore size). In contrast to carbon-containing foams with nearly constant radiative properties, extinction coefficients of foams made of oxidic ceramics show a nearly linear increase with increasing temperature. Validation is achieved by comparing model predictions, using Rosseland diffusion approximation and identified radiative properties, with measurement results at up to 700 °C of the effective thermal conductivity obtained from the transient plane source method (Hot Disk). Deviations largely amount to ±10 % for a pure alumina, as well as differently coated foams, when considering appropriate sample thickness and anisotropic scattering. Besides confirming the reasonability of the identified radiative properties, the suitability of both measurement devices and the simplified modelling procedure for ceramic open-cell foams is thus demonstrated.