Influence of Filler Content on Thermo-Physical Properties of Hollow Glass Microsphere- Silicone Matrix Composite

Thermo-physical properties of hollow glass microsphere (HGM) filled silicone resin are analyzed by various mathematical models to optimize the formulation for a low-density high-temperature resistant composite. The study involves analyzing effective thermal conductivity, specific heat, and density for a two-phase particulate composite system by using the most popular expressions available in the literature at various volume fractions of HGM in the silicone resin matrix. Experiments are performed to compare theoretical results with the experimental data and identified the preferred composition with a density as low as 0.39 g/cc and thermal conductivity 0.116 W/m-K. The microstructural studies by SEM are done to explain the deviation in experimental and theoretical results. FEM analysis is done to understand the heat flow phenomenon in HGM filled silicone composites.