Abstract:The thermal conductivity of organic phase change composites made of porous mineral(expanded porous graphite(EG),diatomite(DI)) and butyl stearate(BS) was tested by means of temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry(MDSC).The effect of the structure of porous minerals on thermal conductivity of the composites was analyzed based on the model of thermal conductivity of layered composite.It is found that the composite made with EG and BS has an obvious multilayered structure,the thermal conductivity in the compressive direction matches well with the thermal conductivity of c axis of the layered model.While the thermal conductivity of the composite made with DI and BS coincides with the thermal conductivity in the direction parallel to the a-b plane of the layered model,which means that the skeleton of the composite made with DI and BS is well interconnected.The enhancement of the thermal conductivity of composite by porous minerals is not only controlled by the thermal conductivity of the porous minerals,but it is also influenced remarkably by the skeleton of composites,which results from the structures of the porous minerals.The interconnectivity is very helpful for the enhancement of the thermal conductivity of the composite in the same direction.In the condition of layered structure perpendicular to the direction of the thermal conductivity,the enhancement is very (limited) by the perpendicular layers,even if the thermal conductivity of the porous minerals is high.