Polymer Composite with Improved Thermal Conductivity by Constructing a Hierarchically Ordered Three-Dimensional...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polymer composites often require improved thermal conductivity for advanced applications.
• Boron nitride (BN) is a promising filler due to its intrinsic high thermal conductivity.
• Achieving efficient thermal pathways in polymer composites remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate epoxy resin/ordered 3D boron nitride (3D-BN) network composites.
• To investigate the thermal conductivity and thermomechanical properties of these novel composites.
• To explore their potential as thermal interface materials.

Main Methods:

• Ice-templating self-assembly to create an ordered 3D BN network.
• Infiltration of epoxy resin into the 3D BN scaffold.
• Characterization of thermal conductivity, glass transition temperature, and dimensional stability.

Main Results:

• Achieved significantly higher thermal conductivity (4.42 W m^-1 K^-1) compared to random composites (1.81 W m^-1 K^-1) at 34 vol % loading.
• Exhibited a high glass transition temperature (178.9-229.2 °C) and excellent dimensional stability (22.7 ppm/K).
• Attributed improvements to the oriented 3D-BN network facilitating efficient heat transfer.

Conclusions:

• The ordered 3D-BN network is crucial for enhancing thermal conductivity in epoxy composites.
• These composites demonstrate superior performance for thermal management in electronics.
• The fabrication method offers a pathway for next-generation thermal interface materials.