CAREER: Thermal Transport in Polymer Nanofibers under Strain Modulation

现代技术中对高效散热的需求日益增加，这就要求材料不仅是优良的热导体，而且具有成本效益、易于制造、重量轻和耐腐蚀。聚合物由于其多功能性而通常是选择的材料，符合这些标准中的大多数。然而，它们固有的低导热性限制了它们在先进热管理系统中的应用。这一挑战导致了旨在提高聚合物导热性的广泛研究工作。尽管有这些努力，但对聚合物内传热机制的全面理解仍然是难以捉摸的。这种知识差距对开发具有高导热性的聚合物构成了重大障碍，这些聚合物在各种先进技术应用中至关重要。为了应对这一挑战，该CAREER项目旨在开发一种创新的实验技术，并提供对聚合物纳米纤维热传输的更深入了解。这项研究与教育和推广活动相结合，包括热工程夏季研讨会，广泛的本科生研究机会，以及针对代表性不足的夏威夷土著学生的有针对性的推广计划。这些举措旨在培养对科学研究的兴趣，培养下一代科学家和工程师。本研究的主要目标是深入了解聚合物纳米纤维中的热传输机制。由于热传输、内部结构和化学组成之间的复杂相互作用，聚合物热传输的许多方面仍然不清楚。该项目提出了几个研究目标：1）开发一个实验平台来测量应变调制下的热传输特性，2）研究不同应变条件下的热传输和内部结构变化，以及3）探索控制聚合物热传输的基本科学原理。该项目的成功完成将阐明聚合物纳米纤维中微观结构与热传输之间的关系，揭示应变下增强热传输的机制。这些发现将在建立设计和合成高导热性聚合物的原则方面发挥关键作用，这对广泛的技术应用至关重要。 该项目由工程（ENG）理事会化学，生物化学，环境和运输（CBET）系统部的热运输过程（TTP）计划共同资助，激励竞争研究计划（EPSCoR）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.

The increasing need for efficient heat dissipation in modern technologies necessitates materials that are not only excellent thermal conductors but also cost-effective, easy to manufacture, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant. Polymers, often the material of choice due to their versatility, meet most of these criteria. However, their inherently low thermal conductivity limits their application in advanced thermal management systems. This challenge has led to extensive research efforts aimed at enhancing the thermal conductivity of polymers. Despite these efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms within polymers remains elusive. This knowledge gap poses a significant barrier to the development of polymers with high thermal conductivity, which are critically needed in various advanced technological applications. To address this challenge, this CAREER project seeks to develop an innovative experimental technique and provide a deeper understanding of thermal transport in polymer nanofibers. This research is integrated with educational and outreach activities, including a summer workshop on thermal engineering, extensive undergraduate research opportunities, and targeted outreach programs for underrepresented Native Hawaiian students. These initiatives are designed to foster interest in scientific research and nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers.The primary objective of this research is to deeply understand the mechanisms of thermal transport in polymer nanofibers. Due to the complex interplay between thermal transport, internal structure, and chemical composition, many facets of polymer thermal transport remain unclear. This project proposes several research goals: 1) the development of an experimental platform to measure thermal transport properties in response to strain modulation, 2) the investigation of thermal transport and internal structure variations under different strain conditions, and 3) the exploration of fundamental scientific principles governing thermal transport in polymers. The successful completion of this project will elucidate the relationship between microstructure and thermal transport in polymer nanofibers, revealing the mechanisms that could enhance thermal transport under strain. These findings will be pivotal in establishing principles for designing and synthesizing high thermal conductivity polymers, crucial for a wide range of technological applications. This project is jointly funded by the Thermal Transport Processes (TTP) program of the Chemical, Biochemical, Environmental and Transport (CBET) Systems Division in the Engineering (ENG) Directorate, and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) at NSF.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.