Possibility of Unusually High Thermal Conductivity Along Metal Ceramic Interfaces in the Aluminum-Spinel System

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9610167 Raj The focus of this SGER project is the measurement of thermal conductivity of interfaces in metal-ceramic composites. The research concentrates on a detailed study of particulate composites consisting of a pure aluminum matrix dispersed with particles of magnesium aluminate spinel. This is motivated by preliminary evidence that interfaces in aluminum-spinel composites enhance the overall thermal conductivity of the composite, in stark contrast to the conventional finding that composite interfaces reduce thermal conductivity. The effort includes preparation of several specimens with different volume fractions and different particle sizes of spinel. The thermal diffusivities of these specimens are measured and the microstructure carefully characterized to confirm or refute the existence of an anomalous thermal conduction along the aluminum-spinel interface. The research is a collaboration between the University of Colorado at Boulder and Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, VA. If this exploratory research produces a positive result then a regular proposal to investigate the phenomenon at an atomistic level will be submitted to the Foundation. %%% This enhanced thermal conduction effect could be applied to many commercially important materials systems, such as electronic packaging and multilayer devices. ***