Data Analysis of Effective Thermal Conductivity Measurements of Sintered Copper Powder of Various Pore and Particle Sizes

A new semi-empirical correlation for the effective thermal conductivity of porous sintered metal powder was developed based on the parallel, series, and combination of parallel and series heat flow configurations.The Langmuir shape factor concept is introduced to gain insight into the microstructure complexity of porous media.The new correlation reveals the average heat flow areas as potential targets for curve-fitting equations with fitting parameters.The main objective of this study is to use the new correlation to analyze experimental data of effective thermal conductivity measurements of sintered copper powder of various pores and particle sizes.The analysis's findings include relationships for the effective thermal conductivity, Langmuir shape factors, heat transfer areas, and length of heat transfer pathways as functions of porosity.The results of various pore and particle sizes are then presented and compared to quantify the differences in the microstructure features and their impacts on thermal conductivity.