Low-Temperature Thermal Conductivity of an Opal + Epoxy-Resin Nanocomposite

Abstract

The thermal conductivity of an opal + epoxy-resin nanocomposite under 100% filling of first-order opal voids by epoxy resin was measured in the range 5–100 K. For T < T 0 (T 0 is the temperature at which the thermal conductivity of epoxy resin becomes equal to that of amorphous SiO2 opal spheres, with inclusion of their porosity associated with second-and third-order voids), the thermal conductivity of the opal + epoxy-resin nanocomposite undergoes a sharp decrease, which is qualitatively accounted for by the appearance of Kapitsa heat resistance at the contacts between the amorphous opal spheres and epoxy resin.