Opportunity: Thermal Characterization for Metallic Phase Change Materials

Solid-liquid phase change materials (PMCs) have quickly become a very active area of research in transient thermal mitigation, enabling smaller, more compact thermal systems that rely on high thermal loads over short periods. Liquid metals have shown promise in high power pulsed electronics due to their high thermal conductivity and ability to quickly absorb energy in response to pulsed loads. Often, thermophysical properties for these materials are poorly understood, only describing a single phase or lacking information on important materials of interest.

Participants will aim to understand and characterize PCMs of Army importance, including liquid metal and organic phase change materials using a variety of characterization tools here at ARL. Methods including steady-state and transient interrogation using optical, electrical, and thermal techniques will be used to determine thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and heat capacity of materials of interest. You will learn to develop materials, build experimental techniques, and interpret results for a wide variety of materials to be used to better understand the PCM design space.

Participants are expected to create a poster and present on their results at the end of the program, be able to answer questions on their research, and understand the mechanics behind thermal measurement techniques and materials.