Models of thermal conductivity of multilayer wear resistant coatings

The thermal conductivity of non-metallic nano- and microstructured materials is a key parameter when considering wear resistant coatings. Here, different models of phonon transport and estimation of thermal conductivity are analyzed. The hopping mechanism of phonon transport was found to be applicable for small-grain-size materials in understanding thermal conductivity, whereas large grain size materials can be studied using the correlation function approach. The Chapman–Enskog approach to the Boltzmann transport equation assuming that the transport of phonons is controlled by scattering on the grain boundaries has been analyzed. The Fourier law of thermal conductivity is obtained with the thermal conductivity inversely proportional to the specific surface of the boundaries.