The C-Therm Trident Thermal Conductivity Instrument provides a fast and easy way to meansure thermal conductivity of polymers.
Thermal Conductivity of Unfilled Plastics (W/mK)1
|
Plastic Type
|
Commercial Name
|
Thermal Conductivity (W/mK
|
|
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
|
ABS
|
0.14 – 0.21
|
|
Acetal
|
Delrin
|
0.23 – 0.36
|
|
Cellulose acetate
|
CA
|
0.16 – 0.36
|
|
Diallyl phthalate
|
Dapon
|
0.31
|
|
Epoxy
|
|
0.19
|
|
Ethylcellulose
|
|
0.23
|
|
Ethylvinylacetate
|
|
0.08
|
|
Phenolic
|
|
0.17
|
|
Polyamide
|
Nylon 6-11-12-66
|
0.24 – 0.3
|
|
Polyaramide
|
Kevlar, Nomex fibers
|
0.04 – 0.13
|
|
Polycarbonate
|
PC
|
0.19 – 0.22
|
|
Polytetrafluorethylene
|
PTFE, Teflon
|
0.25
|
|
Polyethylene terephthalate
|
|
0.15 – 0.4
|
|
Polyethylene L
|
Low density
|
0.33
|
|
Polyethylene HD
|
High density
|
0.45 – 0.52
|
|
Polyimide
|
Kapton
|
0.10 – 0.35
|
|
Polymethylmethacrylate
|
PMMA, Acrylic, Perspex, Plexiglass
|
0.17 – 0.19
|
|
Polyphenylene oxide
|
PPO, Noryl
|
0.22
|
|
Polypropylene
|
PP
|
0.1 – 0.22
|
|
Polystyrene
|
PS
|
0.1 – 0.13
|
|
Polysulfone
|
|
0.26
|
|
Polyurethane
|
PUR
|
0.29
|
|
Polyvinylchloride
|
PVC
|
0.12 – 0.25
|
|
Polyvinylidene fluoride
|
Kynan
|
0.1 – 0.25
|
All values in the table are defined at room temperature. As a rule-of-thumb, the thermal conductivity increases with a few percent in the range 0-100°C. Only below very low temperatures (typically 40K), plastics show a clear decrease. Fillers such as silver, copper, CNTs etc. typically cause a sharp increase in the thermal conductivity of a polymer composite.
1Source: Electronics Cooling – Design, Materials, Compounds, Adhesives, Substrates, Number 2, Technial Data, Volume 7