Changes in the thermophysical properties of microcrystalline cellulose as function of carbonization temperature

Thermophysical properties of carbon materials derived from microcrystalline cellulose have been studied under vacuum and compared with earlier measurements conducted under nitrogen to better understand the influence of porosity, composition, microstructure, and atmosphere effects. The effective thermal conductivity in vacuum is lower than that observed in nitrogen primarily due to the conductivity of nitrogen gas. Radiation effects in both atmospheres were determined to be negligible. Reduction of thermal diffusivity in nitrogen was attributed to the effects of nitrogen gas phonon scattering. The trends for electrical and thermal property changes with structure are similar but not identical due to the differences in electron and phonon transport mechanisms.