Thermal conductivity of molding compounds for plastic packaging

Alumina-loaded new molding compounds feature a thermal conductivity up to 1.5 W/mK, a water uptake smaller than 0.2 weight %, a coefficient of thermal expansion of 10 ppm/K, and an excellent popcorn resistance (0 cracks from 6). The thermal conductivity of such particulate-loaded polymers has been investigated as a function of the volume content (0-80%) of aluminum oxide, quartz, and fused quartz. The thermal expansion and the specific heat have also been recorded. A new model allows one to calculate the thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion within a couple of percent.<>