Effects of Graphene Nanopetal Outgrowths on Internal Thermal Interface Resistance in Composites

Thermal resistance at the interface between fiber and matrix is often the determining factor influencing thermal transport in carbon fiber composites. Despite its significance, few experimental measurements of its magnitude have been performed to date. Here, a 3ω method is applied to measure the interfacial thermal resistance between individual carbon fibers and an epoxy matrix. The method incorporates bulk and interfacial regions to extract interfacial characteristics. Measured values indicate an average thermal interface resistance of 18 mm(2) K/W for an interface between bare fiber and epoxy, but the average value drops to 3 mm(2) K/W after a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition of two-dimensional graphene nanopetals on the carbon fiber surface.