Thermooxidative degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is inevitable during processing of PVC. Recycling of this polymer requires reprocessing in most of the cases, and due to the low thermal stability of PVC, it is of paramount importance to reveal the effect of thermooxidation on the thermal stability of this commercially important polymer. However, detailed systematic investigations are l...

Thermal pastes play an important role in transmitting heat generated by an integrated circuit chip from its back side to a cooling cap or heat sink which transfers the heat to the environment. Most thermal pastes are formulations of solid, thermally conducting particles in a liquid matrix loaded to very high solids content. The mixing process for such pastes is complex but important, since it d...

Effects of matrix cracks and the attendant interface debonding and sliding on both the longitudinal and the transverse thermal diffusivities of a unidirectional Nicalon/MAS composite are investigated. The diffusivity measurements are made in situ during tensile testing using a phase-sensitive photothermal technique. The contribution to the longitudinal thermal resistance from each of the cracks...