Numerical Investigation of the Performance of Talc Filled Epoxy Composites for Cookware Insulation Application

Abstract

Thermal insulation plays a vital role in domestic cookware by limiting heat transfer to external components such as handles, thereby improving user safety. This study dives into the thermal performance of talc/epoxy composites that have been exposed to various post-curing temperatures and comparing their insulation abilities to traditional Bakelite. In total, 40 composite specimens were put to the test in this research. These composites were made using different talc particle sizes and cured at temperatures ranging from 50°C to 150°C. To evaluate the thermal behavior of both the composites and Bakelite, a computational fluid dynamics approach was employed using ANSYS Fluent to simulate heating in a domestic pot with a consistent aspect ratio (H/D = 0.52625). the post cured composites and Bakelite were simulated as handles of the domestic pot. The results showed that composites cured at 100°C provided the best insulation performance, significantly outperforming Bakelite. At lower curing temperatures, incomplete cross-linking limited thermal resistance, while higher temperatures led to degradation. A grid independence study confirmed the reliability of the numerical model. Among the 40 specimens tested, the 2E (106 µm- 5% fiberglass, 15% Talc and 80% epoxy) composite post cured at 125°C demonstrated the highest insulation capability, achieving approximately 30°C of heat reduction at the pot handles compared to Bakelite's 24.4°C. These findings reveal that talc/epoxy composites can be effective alternatives to traditional insulating materials for domestic uses like cookware, particularly when processed under optimal curing conditions.