Theoretical and empirical thermal conductivity models of red mud filled polymer composites

The present paper deals with the prediction capability of theoretical and empirical models on thermal conductivity coefficient (TCC) of red mud/polypropylene composites. Red mud is known as an industrial waste material occurs during the production of alumina by Bayer's process. The characterization analyses of the red mud particulates have been carried out by XRF, XRD, and SEM. Experimental TCC measurements for the red mud/polypropylene composites are given and the results are compared with the predicted values based on Russell, Maxwell-Eucken, Bruggeman, Cheng-Vachon, Hamilton-Crosser, Agari, Nielsen, Mixed empirical and Percolation micro-models. It is shown that red mud waste material having hybrid structures can be used to obtain relatively high TCC up to 50% volume fraction, successfully. The results obtained on TCC of red mud/PP particulate composites as a cheaper and waste material (red mud) encourage the researchers for its potential applications.