Optimization of Thermal and Mechanical Properties in Nanoporous Materials

Abstract

  We have studied theoretically thermal and mechanical properties of nanoporous materials. The thermal conductivity has been estimated with special attention to phonon scattering by nanometer-sized pores. It is shown that the thermal conductivity of a material having several nanometer-sized pores decreases steeply with increasing porosity. The bulk modulus of model nanoporous materials has been calculated using an interatomic potential. It is shown that the bulk modulus of a material having several nanometer-sized pores decreases moderately with increasing porosity. From our theoretical consideration we discuss how we optimize thermal and mechanical properties of nanoporous materials.