Influence of rotational motion of molecules on the thermal conductivity of solid SF6, CHCl3, C6H6, and CCl4

The thermal conductivity of solid SF6, CHCl3, C6H6, and CCl4 is investigated by the linear-flow method under saturated vapor pressures in the temperature range from 80 K to the respective melting temperatures, and the values obtained are then adjusted to a constant density of the samples. The contributions of the phonon-phonon and phonon-rotation interactions to the total thermal resistance are separated using the modified method of reduced coordinates. It is shown that the phonon-rotation contribution to the thermal resistance of the crystals decreases as the rotational motion of the molecules attains more freedom. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.