Numerical study of directional heat transfer in composite materials via controllable carbon fiber distribution

Carbon fiber reinforced polyamide 12 (CF/PA12), a new material renowned for its excellent mechanical and thermal properties, has drawn significant industry attention. Using the steady-state research to heat transfer, a series of simulations to investigate the heat transfer properties of CF/PA12 were conducted in this study. Firstly, by building two- and three-dimensional models, the effects of the porosity, carbon fiber content, and arrangement on the heat transfer of CF/PA12 were examined. A validation of the simulation model was carried out and the findings were consistent with those of the experiment. Then, the simulation results using the above models showed that within the volume fraction from 0% to 28%, the thermal conductivity of CF/PA12 increased greatly from 0.0242 W/(m·K) to 10.8848 W/(m·K). The increasing porosity had little influence on heat transfer characteristic of CF/PA12. The direction of the carbon fiber arrangement affects the heat transfer impact, and optimal outcomes were achieved when the heat flow direction was parallel to the carbon fiber. This research contributes to improving the production methods and broadening the application scenarios of composite materials.