Multiphysics simulation of thermal and electric field effects in h-BN/HDPE nanocomposites

Abstract Microwave hybrid heating was investigated as an efficient processing technique for the fabrication of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)–based nanocomposites reinforced with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Multiphysics finite element simulations were employed to analyze the coupled electric field and temperature distributions during microwave exposure. HDPE/h-BN nanocomposites containing 2%, 3.5%, and 5% h-BN were fabricated and subjected to microwave heating to evaluate their thermal response. Thermal imaging was used to experimentally assess the effects of microwave power and filler concentration on heating behavior. The simulated maximum temperature range of 132 °C–145 °C near the plane of symmetry showed good agreement with experimental observations, confirming the validity of the numerical model. An electric field intensity of 9.08 × 10 3 V m −1 was predicted at the central plane, highlighting the critical role of mold positioning during processing. The incorporation of h-BN nanoplatelets significantly modified the microwave energy distribution, leading to localized field enhancement and influencing heating uniformity. In addition, mechanical testing demonstrated improved tensile properties, with the maximum tensile strength reaching 39.41 MPa at 5% h-BN loading, corresponding to a 38.51% increase compared to neat HDPE.