Improving and Characterizing New Thermal Metamaterials Compatible With Additive Manufacturing From High Thermal Conductivity Polymeric Materials


Deveci C. D., Altay L., SEKİ Y., SARIKANAT M.

International Journal of Energy Research, cilt.2026, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 2026 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1155/er/4023963
  • Dergi Adı: International Journal of Energy Research
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Compendex, Environment Index, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: additive manufacturing, heat management, polymer composites, synthetic graphite, thermal conductivity, thermal metamaterials
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Effective thermal management is the critical bottleneck in high-density battery safety and performance. While metals like aluminum are traditional benchmarks for heat dissipation, their high-density and manufacturing constraints limit the efficiency of modern, weight-sensitive systems. This study addresses this gap by developing and characterizing a new class of thermal metamaterials that integrate high-performance polymer composites with additive manufacturing (AM) to achieve unprecedented control of heat flow. The innovation lies in the synergy between a custom-formulated polyamide-6/synthetic graphite (PA6-40SG) filament and topology-optimized geometric architectures. By loading 40 wt% SG, the composite’s in-plane thermal conductivity was increased to 15.04 W/m·K, transforming a naturally insulating polymer into a highly conductive medium. Beyond material enhancement, this work implements a dual-phase optimization strategy that integrates numerical thermal modeling with metamaterial-based heat-flow control. The impact of this research is demonstrated through the fabrication of a battery enclosure cover that achieves thermal performance comparable to that of aluminum while reducing weight by 30%. These results prove that engineered polymer metamaterials can successfully replace metallic components in demanding environments. This study provides a scalable framework for designing lightweight, cost-effective, and geometrically complex thermal management solutions across the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries.