Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Contact Conductance Studies on Al12%Si10wt.%SiCp Metal Matrix Composites

Abstract

Al12%Si10wt.%SiC_p is a metal matrix composite (MMC) which is replacing the traditional metals in automobile industry. This paper describes the detailed investigations carried out for the first time on thermal contact resistance across this MMC contacts and also across the contacts between this MMC and other engineering materials like stainless steel, aluminum and copper, in vacuum at different contact pressures. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical models available in the literature for metal contacts. It is found that MMC contacts also show a behavior of metallic contacts in respect of thermal contact conductance i.e., the contact conductance increases as a function of contact pressure and number of load cycles. The thermal conductivity of the MMC is measured at different temperatures and is found to be invariant with temperature up to 100 C.

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