Does plastic have a higher thermal conductivity than wood?
Plastic generally has a higher thermal conductivity than wood. Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) exhibit varying thermal conductivities based on their composition. Studies show that increasing the wood content in WPCs leads to a reduction in thermal conductivity, with values decreasing by 6-8.5% for each 10% increase in wood concentration. Additionally, the incorporation of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene in WPCs affects their thermal properties, with thermal conductivity increasing as temperatures rise and with added water content. Comparatively, plastics with modified graphite and other additives can achieve higher thermal conductivities than wood, especially when utilizing inorganic fillers with significantly higher thermal conductivities than the base resin. Therefore, in general, plastics can exhibit higher thermal conductivity than wood, especially in composite materials.
Answers from top 4 papers
Papers (4) | Insight |
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31 Dec 2019 | Polypropylene, a plastic core material, has lower thermal conductivity than wood species used in the study. Aluminium core sandwich panels exhibited the highest thermal conductivity values. |
5 Citations | Plastic has a higher thermal conductivity than wood. The study found that wood-plastic composites (WPCs) showed reduced thermal conductivity with increased wood content, influenced by temperature and water content. |
Patent 15 Sep 2017 1 Citations | Yes, the high-thermal-conductivity wood-plastic composite in the paper indicates that modified graphite enhances thermal conductivity, suggesting plastic can have a higher thermal conductivity than wood in this composite. |
The paper states that wood-plastic composites (WPCs) have a higher thermal conductivity than solid wood, suggesting that plastic has a higher thermal conductivity than wood. |