Intrinsically thermally conductive polymers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Polymers are typically thermal insulators, with thermal conductivity below 0.3 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹.
• Recent research demonstrates that polymers can achieve intrinsically high thermal conductivity (>1.0 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹).

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate design features enabling intrinsically high thermal conductivity in polymers.
• To provide a framework for engineering polymers with enhanced thermal transport properties.

Main Methods:

• Review of theoretical and experimental investigations on polymer thermal conductivity.
• Analysis of macromolecular features influencing heat transport, including alignment, crystallinity, and intermolecular interactions.

Main Results:

• High thermal conductivity in polymers can be achieved by optimizing molecular alignment, crystallinity, and intermolecular forces.
• Evidence suggests phonon-like heat carriers are operative in polymers with these optimized characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Systematic engineering of polymers for high thermal conductivity is feasible by applying identified design principles.
• Further fundamental and technological development is needed for advanced high thermal conductivity polymers.