Effective thermal conductivity of graphene-based composites

An analytical model for the effective thermal conductivity in graphene nanoplates (GNPs) based composites is presented. The theoretical formula gives good agreements with the existing experimental data available in the literature. In particular, the present model well shows the nonlinear dependence of effective thermal conductivity enhancement ((Ke − Km)/Km) on the GNP volume fraction (f), and it yields a power law (Ke − Km)/Km ∼ f α (1/2 < α < 2) (1/2 < α < 2). Some interesting findings in thermal conductivity behavior of GNP composites based on the present model are also discussed.