Recyclable Solid-solid Phase Change Polymer-based Composites With High Latent Heat and Ultrahigh Thermal Conductivity...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Miniaturization of electronic devices necessitates advanced thermal management solutions.
• Existing materials often lack the required combination of high latent heat and thermal conductivity.
• Need for reprocessable composites for sustainable thermal management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate solid-solid phase change materials (SSPCMs) with high latent heat and ultrahigh thermal conductivity.
• To achieve reprocessability in thermally conductive composites for electronic thermal management.
• To explore applications in heat dissipation and solar energy storage.

Main Methods:

• Internal-catalyzed esterification of styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form SSPCMs (MP).
• Incorporation of SSPCMs into vertically oriented carbon fiber arrays (OCF) to create composites (MP-OCF).
• Characterization of phase transition enthalpy, thermal conductivity, and reprocessability.

Main Results:

• The synthesized MP exhibited a high phase transition enthalpy of 151.1 J g⁻¹ and reprocessability at 120 °C.
• The MP1-2-OCF composite achieved an ultrahigh thermal conductivity of 128.12 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ with a latent heat of 116.3 J g⁻¹.
• The composites demonstrated excellent performance in heat dissipation and solar energy storage applications.

Conclusions:

• A facile strategy for preparing thermally conductive SSPCM composites with high latent heat and reprocessability was developed.
• The developed composites are suitable for advanced thermal management in electronic devices.
• This work offers a promising approach for materials used in thermal management and energy storage.