Ethan Clarke
Plastics are typically poor conductors of heat, but recent developments in polymer science have led to the creation of plastics with higher thermal conductivity. Traditionally, plastics have been used as insulators, trapping heat within their tangled molecular chains. However, a team of engineers from MIT has developed a polymer thermal conductor, a plastic material that dissipates heat rather than insulating it. This discovery could have significant implications for electronics, leading to lighter, cheaper, and more energy-efficient products. While most commercially used polymers have limited heat conduction capabilities, these new polymers can conduct up to 10 times more heat, with some treatments increasing thermal conductivity by up to 300 times. The improved thermal conductivity in these plastics is due to the straightening of their molecular chains, allowing heat to travel more efficiently.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Conductivity | Plastics are generally poor conductors of heat. However, certain plastics have higher levels of thermal conductivity than others. |
| Insulation | Plastics are excellent insulators, meaning they can efficiently trap heat. |
| Applications | Plastics are used in cookware, dishes, and bowls that are safe for microwaving due to their poor heat conduction. |
| Protection | Plastics can protect electrical components and systems by preventing the flow of heat and electricity. |
| Molecular Structure | Plastics are made of long chains of molecules that are tightly coiled and tangled, which hinders the movement of heat carriers. |
| Thermal Engineering | Techniques can be applied to modify the molecular structure of plastics, improving their heat conduction while maintaining their lightweight and flexible properties. |
| Electrical Insulation | Polymers are electrically insulating and do not conduct electricity, making them useful for preventing short circuits in electronic devices. |
| Heat Dissipation | Some engineered plastics can dissipate heat, preventing the overheating of laptops, mobile phones, and other electronics. |
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What You'll Learn
Why plastics are poor heat conductors
Plastics are generally poor conductors of heat and are more commonly used as insulators. This is because the molecules inside plastic are very closely bound together, requiring a lot more energy for them to move and vibrate. As a result, thermal conduction does not occur efficiently with plastic.
Plastics are made of polymers, which are long chains of monomers, or molecular units, linked end-to-end. These chains are often tangled into a spaghetti-like ball, making it difficult for heat carriers to move through the disorderly mess. Instead, they tend to get trapped within the polymeric snarls and knots.
However, certain plastics have higher levels of thermal conductivity than others. For example, synthetic polymers can act as electrical conductors, while polyurethane and polystyrene, two common types of plastic used in everyday household items, have lower levels of thermal conductivity.
Engineers at MIT have developed a polymer thermal conductor, a plastic material that works as a heat conductor, dissipating heat rather than insulating it. The new polymer is lightweight and flexible and can conduct ten times as much heat as most commercially used polymers. This is achieved by stretching the disordered polymers into ultrathin, ordered chains, allowing heat to travel more easily through the material.
While plastics are typically poor heat conductors, these advancements in polymer science demonstrate the potential to enhance their thermal conductivity in the future.
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How plastic cookware stays cool
Plastic is generally not a good conductor of heat and has been used as an insulator for many years. This is because plastic has very few free electrons, which means thermal conduction cannot take place. For thermal conduction to occur, heat energy must be transferred through the vibration and collision of molecules. However, the molecules inside plastic are very closely bound together, requiring much more energy to move and vibrate. This is why plastic cookware handles, for example, stay cool.
However, there are certain plastics with higher levels of thermal conductivity than others. Synthetic polymers, for example, can act as electrical conductors. In 2018, engineers at MIT developed a polymer thermal conductor—a plastic material that works as a heat conductor, dissipating heat rather than insulating it. The new polymers can conduct 10 times as much heat as most commercially used polymers. The technique used by the engineers stretched the disordered polymers into ultrathin, ordered chains, enabling heat to travel easily through the material.
Despite the development of this new polymer, plastic cookware is generally not recommended due to the potential health risks associated with it. Studies have shown that plastic utensils produce toxic byproducts when they come into contact with heat and release microplastics into food. These byproducts, called oligomers, are formed during the manufacturing process. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has warned that consuming as little as 90 micrograms of plastic from cooking utensils can pose significant health risks.
As such, alternatives to plastic cookware are recommended, such as wood or bamboo, food-grade stainless steel, and silicone.
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Polymer thermal conductors
Plastics are typically used as insulators, trapping heat rather than conducting it. However, a team of engineers at MIT has developed a polymer thermal conductor—a plastic material that works as a heat conductor, dissipating heat. The new polymers, which are lightweight and flexible, can conduct 10 times as much heat as most commercially used polymers.
The process involves stretching disordered polymers into ultrathin, ordered chains, allowing heat to travel easily along and through the material. While this technique increases thermal conductivity, it only allows heat to dissipate in one direction, along the length of each polymer chain.
To address this limitation, Xu from MIT conceived of a study to engineer polymers with high thermal conductivity by simultaneously manipulating intramolecular and intermolecular forces. The goal is to enable efficient heat transport along and between polymer chains, potentially allowing the material to scatter heat away in all directions.
Overall, the development of polymer thermal conductors offers exciting possibilities for improving thermal management and heat dissipation in various industries.
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How to enable plastic to conduct heat
Plastics are typically poor conductors of heat and are more often used as insulators. However, there are certain plastics that have higher levels of thermal conductivity than others. Synthetic polymers, for example, have high conductivity traits and act as electrical conductors.
Engineers at MIT have developed a polymer thermal conductor—a plastic material that works as a heat conductor, dissipating heat rather than insulating it. The new polymer, which is lightweight and flexible, can conduct 10 times as much heat as most commercially used polymers. The technique used to create this polymer involves stretching disordered polymers into ultrathin, ordered chains, enabling heat to move easily along and through the material.
Another method to enable plastic to conduct heat is by using thermally conductive compounds. These compounds can be used to encapsulate small motors and motor bobbins, such as in a diesel fuel pump to keep fuel flowing in sub-freezing temperatures. They can also be used in radiant floor-heating systems, where a thermally conductive film placed between coils could allow water to be run at lower temperatures. In addition, thermally conductive compounds can be used to create custom-molded heat sinks on circuit boards and tubing for heat exchangers in appliances, lighting, telecommunication devices, business machines, and industrial equipment.
Modifying plastics to improve their thermal conductivity is an emerging area of interest for many companies, such as PolyOne Corp., Cool Polymers, LNP Engineering Plastics, RTP Co., and Ticona Corp. These companies are working on using plastics to solve problems of heat build-up in electronics, appliances, lighting, automotive, and industrial products.
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Applications of heat-conducting plastics
Plastics are generally poor conductors of heat, but there are certain plastics that have higher levels of thermal conductivity than others. Engineers at MIT have developed a polymer thermal conductor—a plastic material that dissipates heat rather than insulating it. The new polymers can conduct 10 times as much heat as commercially used polymers. This new plastic material can be used in electronics casings, films for printed circuit boards, and battery casings.
The process of developing heat-conducting plastics involves stretching the disordered polymers into ultrathin, ordered chains, enabling heat to travel easily through the material. This technique has been applied to polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyacryloyl piperidine (PAP) by the Pipe and Kim research groups, resulting in a blend that relies on hydrogen bonds that are 10 to 100 times stronger than those in conventional plastics.
Heat-conducting plastics have various applications, including in HVAC heat-exchanger side components, high-speed differential connectors, and heat sinks. They can also be used in custom-molded heat sinks on circuit boards, tubing for heat exchangers, and lighting applications such as reflectors and fluorescent ballasts. Additionally, they can be explored for use in automotive headlamp reflectors, temperature sensors, and even radiant floor-heating systems.
The development of heat-conducting plastics offers several advantages. Plastics are inexpensive, lightweight, and flexible, making them ideal for creating lighter, more energy-efficient products. They can replace metals and ceramics in some applications, reducing weight and improving thermal management. However, it's important to note that in applications where conductivity is the limiting factor, metal remains the preferred material.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastics are generally poor conductors of heat. They are more often used as insulators, trapping heat rather than allowing it to flow through.
Plastics have very few free electrons, which means thermal conduction does not take place easily. The molecules inside plastic are also very closely bound together, requiring more energy to move and vibrate.
Researchers at MIT and the University of Michigan have developed techniques to engineer the structure of plastic itself, straightening the molecule chains to allow heat to travel more easily through the material. These plastics are more flexible and lightweight and can conduct up to 10 times as much heat as commercially used polymers.
Plastics that conduct heat better could be used in electronics casings to prevent devices from overheating. They could also be used to make lighter, cheaper, and more energy-efficient vehicles, LEDs, and computers.
