High-Performance Liquid Metal/Polyborosiloxane Elastomer toward Thermally Conductive Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Thermally conductive elastomers are crucial for daily applications but often lack sufficient stretchability and toughness.
• Limitations in current materials hinder their use in demanding practical scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a high-performance composite material with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional thermally conductive elastomers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite by dispersing room-temperature liquid metal (LM) microdroplets into a polyborosiloxane elastomer (PBSE) matrix.
• Characterization of the composite's mechanical properties, including fracture strain and toughness.
• Evaluation of the composite's thermal conductivity and performance under complex loading conditions.

Main Results:

• The LM/PBSE composite achieved a high fracture strain of 401% and fracture toughness of 2164 J/m² due to a solid-liquid coupling mechanism.
• Incorporation of LM microdroplets significantly improved the thermal conductivity of the elastomer.
• The composite demonstrated remarkable anti-impact and adhesion capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed LM/PBSE composite represents a novel stretchable elastomer with superior mechanical and thermal performance.
• This material shows significant potential for applications in thermal camouflages, heat-dissipation matrices, and electronic device shells.