Studying the Effect of the Weight Fractions of Different Types of Powders on Thermal Conductivity and Homogeneity of an Epoxy Blend Resin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/ujpe71.5.478Keywords:
aluminum oxide (Al2O3), carbon nanoparticles (CNP), epoxy blend resin, gamma-ray attenuation, homogeneity test, nickel oxide (NiO), polymer composite, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal conductivity, zinc oxide (ZnO)Abstract
In this study investigated the effects of weight fractions (10–50 wt%) of carbon nanoparticles (CNP), Al2O3, NiO, and ZnO powders on the thermal conductivity and homogeneity of a 50 : 50 epoxy blend resin. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed distinct surface morphologies: NiO composites showed smooth surfaces with minimal gaps at low concentrations but developed large voids at 50 wt%, while Al2O3 surfaces exhibited fractures and increased blistering at higher loadings. ZnO and CNP composites displayed rough, porous surfaces with significant agglomeration at 50 wt%. Thermally, all fillers enhanced conductivity relative to the unreinforced epoxy (0.938 W/(m · K)), with NiO exhibiting the highest improvement (32.5–46.3%), followed by ZnO (28–38.7%), Al2O3 (19.5–31.3%), and CNP (11.2–16.7%). Homogeneity testing via γ-ray attenuation (241Am source) demonstrated that ZnO composites achieved the highest homogeneity (lowest Δμ% and standard deviation σμ = 0.004–0.02%), whereas NiO composites were the least homogeneous. Crucially, ZnO’s uniform particle distribution also provided superior gamma-ray shielding (μ = 0.108–0.205 cm−1), while NiO’s heterogeneity compromised its attenuation efficacy.
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