Enhancing the Insulation Property of Polypropylene through 3D-Printed
Multi-Hollow Structured Board: A Numerical Investigation
Abstract
This study aims to enhance the insulation property of polypropylene (PP)
by developing it into a multi-hollow structured board using 3D printing
technology. A previous experimental study determined the effective
thermal conductivity of the porous PP board was experimentally
determined using a hot box test, yielding a value of 0.0033 W/mK, which
represents a significant improvement over conventional building
insulator. To validate the experimental results, a numerical simulation
using COMSOL Multiphysics software was conducted to model the heat
transfer process within the porous PP board. The simulation employed an
appropriate methodology, including parameter definition, geometry
creation, material definition, steady-state porous heat transfer module,
initial and boundary conditions, meshing, and study. The numerical
analysis focused on determining the indoor surface temperature,
evaluating the total heat flux, and calculating the effective thermal
conductivity of the porous PP board. The simulation results revealed an
effective thermal conductivity of 0.0036 W/mK, which closely matches the
experimentally obtained value from the hot box test. The agreement
between the experimental and numerical results validates the
effectiveness of the multi-hollow structured PP board as a superior
insulating material. This study demonstrates the potential of combining
3D printing technology with materials like polypropylene to develop
highly efficient insulation solutions for building applications.