Thermal Properties of Carbon/Carbon Composites

Thermal transport properties of a solid material are generally controlled by two mechanisms: (i) electron charge cloud drift and (ii) lattice vibrations, known as phonons. In the latter case, thermal transport properties such as thermal conductivity or thermal diffusivity are directly proportional to the mean free path of phonons [1]. In a perfect crystal, phonon scattering takes place predominantly by four mechanisms; the crystal boundaries, the natural isotopic composition, the inharmonic interaction with other phonons, and the conduction of electrons [2].