Varvara Apostolopoulou-Kalkavoura

I am a last year PhD student and my PhD work focuses on the thermal conductivity of cellulose nanomaterials (CNM)-based foams and aerogels under varying climatic conditions. I specifically compared isotropic and anisotropic CNM foams and investigated the heat transfer mechanisms within the nanostructures. Furthermore, as cellulosic materials are hygroscopic, I focus on determining correctly their moisture uptake and correlate it with the their thermal conductivity at a wide range of relative humidity and temperature conditions. Lastly, I combined my experimental work with molecular modelling in collaboration with experts in order to reveal the most dominant heat transfer and moisture transport mechanisms within CNM foams.