Investigation of anisotropic thermal transport in cross-linked polymers

Thermal transport in lightly cross-linked polyisoprene and polybutadine subjected to uniaxial elongation is investigated experimentally. We employ two experimental techniques to assess the effect that deformation has on this class of materials. The first technique, which is based on Forced Rayleigh Scattering (FRS), allows us to measure the two independent components of the thermal diffusivity tensor as a function of deformation. These measurements along with independent measurements of the tensile stress and birefringence are used to evaluate the stress-thermal and stress-optic rules. The stress-thermal rule is found to be valid for the entire range of elongations applied. In contrast, the stress-optic rule fails for moderate to large stretch ratios. This suggests that the degree of anisotropy in thermal conductivity depends on both orientation and tension in polymer chain segments. The second technique, which is based on infrared thermography (IRT), allows us to measure anisotropy in thermal conductivity and strain induced changes in heat capacity. We validate this method measurements of anisotropic thermal conductivity by comparing them with those obtained using FRS. We find excellent agreement between the two techniques. Uncertainty in the infrared thermography method measurements is estimated to be about 2-5 %. The accuracy of the method and its potential application to non-transparent materials makes it a good alternative to extend current research on anisotropic thermal transport in polymeric materials. A second IRT application allows us to investigate the dependence of heat capacity on deformation. We find that heat capacity increases with stretch ratio in polyisoprene specimens under uniaxial extension. The deviation from the equilibrium value of heat capacity is consistent with an independent set of experiments comparing anisotropy in thermal diffusivity and conductivity employing FRS and IRT techniques. We identify finite extensibility and strain-induced crystallization as the possible causes explaining our observations and evaluate their contribution making use of classical rubber elasticity results.;Finally, we study of the role of evaporation-induced thermal effects in the well-know phenomena of the tears of wine. We develop a transport model and support its predictions by experimentally measuring the temperature gradient present in wine and cognac films using IRT. Our results demonstrate that the Marangoni flow responsible for wine tears results from both composition and temperature gradients, whose relative contribution strongly depends on the thermodynamic properties of ethanol-water mixtures. The methods developed here can be used to obtain a deeper understanding of Marangoni flows, which are ubiquitous in nature and modern technology.