Thermal Properties of Carbon Nanotube–Copper Composites for Thermal Management Applications

Carbon nanotube–copper (CNT/Cu) composites have been successfully synthesized by means of a novel particles-compositing process followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The thermal conductivity of the composites was measured by a laser flash technique and theoretical analyzed using an effective medium approach. The experimental results showed that the thermal conductivity unusually decreased after the incorporation of CNTs. Theoretical analyses revealed that the interfacial thermal resistance between the CNTs and the Cu matrix plays a crucial role in determining the thermal conductivity of bulk composites, and only small interfacial thermal resistance can induce a significant degradation in thermal conductivity for CNT/Cu composites. The influence of sintering condition on the thermal conductivity depended on the combined effects of multiple factors, i.e. porosity, CNTs distribution and CNT kinks or twists. The composites sintered at 600°C for 5 min under 50 MPa showed the maximum thermal conductivity. CNT/Cu composites are considered to be a promising material for thermal management applications.     

Fabrication and Evaluation of Al2O3–AgCl–Agl Composites by Use of Electrochemical Deposition

Al₂O₃–AgCl–AgI composites were fabricated by an electrochemical deposition technique utilizing porous α–Al₂O₃ ceramics as a matrix. The growth process was presumed to be dominated by the diffusion rate of the Ag⁺ ion. The phases identified in the composites were α-Al₂O₃, AgCl, and β-AgI. The deposited AgCl and AgI showed enhanced conductivity compared with the reported bulk values. The deposited mixture exhibited enhanced conductivity compared with pressed polycrystalline AgCl or AgI. The enhancement was explained using a model that a deposit with a high conductivity grows much faster than that with a low conductivity.     

Thermal Conductivity Characterization of Hafnium Diboride-Based Ultra-High-Temperature Ceramics

We evaluated the thermal conductivity of HfB₂-based ultra-high-temperature ceramics from laser flash diffusivity measurements in the 25°–600°C temperature range. Commercially available powders were used to prepare HfB₂ composites containing 20 vol% SiC, some including TaSi₂ (5 vol%) and Ir (0.5 or 2 vol%) additions. Samples were consolidated via conventional hot pressing or spark plasma sintering. Processing differences were shown to lead to differences in magnitude and temperature dependence of effective thermal conductivity. We compared results with measured values from heritage materials and analyzed trends using a network model of effective thermal conductivity, incorporating the effects of porosity, grain size, Kapitza resistance, and individual constituent thermal conductivities.     

Carbon nanotube functionalization effects on thermal properties of multiwall carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites

The thermal properties of composites based on polycarbonate (PC) filed with ultraviolet/ozone (UVO) treated multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in low limit (less than 0.01) volume fractions have been investigated. The composites were prepared in the form of films of relatively small thickness (23–33 μm) with random orientation of treated MWCNTs. Functionalization of MWCNTs has been confirmed through Fourier transform infrared measurements. Thermal conductivity was obtained by measuring both of thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity using photoacoustic technique. The results reveal that the addition of UVO treated MWCNTs lead to enhance both the thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity of the composites. Insertion of 0.95% MWCNTs into PC improves the thermal conductivity of the composites by ∼22%. This enhancement is reasonable using such low content of MWCNTs of moderate aspect ratio. The experimental results were analyzed using a simple model concerning some relevant parameters such as volume fractions, interfacial thermal resistance, aspect ratio, and nonstraightness of nanotubes. An interface thermal resistance in the low limit of about 2.1 × 10⁻⁸ m²K/W has been estimated. In the light of these results, the role of MWCNTs functionalization on the overall thermal transport properties of MWCNTs‐polymer composites has been discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1242–1248, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Thermal conductivity of porous Alumina-20 wt% zirconia ceramic composites

Effect of porosity and temperature on thermal conductivity of the porous Alumina-20 wt% Zirconia (3 mol.% Y₂O₃) ceramic composites with and without niobia were investigated. The ceramic powders were synthesized by the sol-gel route using alkoxide precursors. The porosity in the composites was maintained in the range of 9.5–65 vol% using starch as a space holder material. After processing, samples were compacted uniaxially and sintered at 1873 K for 3 h. The thermal conductivity of porous ceramic composites with and without niobia dopant was measured at three different temperatures of 300, 473, and 673 K using laser-flash technique. The thermal conductivity of the samples was reduced with increasing temperature and porosity. At temperature of 300 K, the thermal conductivity value of 11 W/m.K was obtained for the undoped sample S0 with 17 vol% residual porosity, dropped to 2 W/mK for the sample S40 containing 65 vol% porosity, and for the same sample it was further reduced to the lowest value of 0.68 W/m.K at 673 K. The measured conductivity values were used to determine the grain boundary thermal resistance value (R) of the samples which exhibited an ascending trend with the porosity. The obtained thermal conductivity for the different porous composites was verified and formulated with the Maxwell-Eucken and Ticha models. The results showed that the experimentally measured conductivity values follow a descending order with the models while at the higher-porosity level (57–65 vol%), it fits well with the Ticha equation with only 9% and 4.6% deviation for undoped and doped samples, respectively. Results also revealed that the addition of niobia significantly reduced thermal conductivity at the lower porosity levels, but at higher porosity level the effect of porosity was more dominant.     

Effect of Interfacial Reaction on the Thermal Conductivity of Al–SiC Composites with SiC Dispersions

The effect of interfacial reactions between Al and SiC on the thermal conductivity of SiC-particle-dispersed Al-matrix composites was investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the thermal barrier conductance ( h _c) of the interface in the Al–SiC composites was quantified using a rule of mixture regarding thermal conductivity. Al–SiC composites with a composition of Al (pure Al or Al–11 vol% Si alloy)–66.3 vol% SiC and a variety of SiC particle sizes were used as specimens. The addition of Si to an Al matrix increased the thermal barrier conductance although it decreased overall thermal conductivity. X-ray diffraction showed the formation of Al₄C₃ and Si as byproducts in addition to Al and SiC in some specimens. TEM observation indicated that whiskerlike products, possibly Al₄C₃, were formed at the interface between the SiC particles and the Al matrix. The thermal barrier conductance and the thermal conductivity of the Al–SiC composites decreased with increasing Al₄C₃ content. The role of Si addition to an Al matrix was concluded to be restraining an excessive progress of the interfacial reaction between Al and SiC.     

Spark Plasma Sintered Silicon Nitride Ceramics with High Thermal Conductivity Using MgSiN2 as Additives

Silicon nitride ceramics were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at temperatures of 1450°–1600°C for 3–12 min, using α-Si₃N₄ powders as raw materials and MgSiN₂ as sintering additives. Almost full density of the sample was achieved after sintering at 1450°C for 6 min, while there was about 80 wt%α-Si₃N₄ phase left in the sintered material. α-Si₃N₄ was completely transformed to β-Si₃N₄ after sintering at 1500°C for 12 min. The thermal conductivity of sintered materials increased with increasing sintering temperature or holding time. Thermal conductivity of 100 W·(m·K)⁻¹ was achieved after sintering at 1600°C for 12 min. The results imply that SPS is an effective and fast method to fabricate β-Si₃N₄ ceramics with high thermal conductivity when appropriate additives are used.     

Thermal conductivity and diffusivity of carbon-reinforced polyetherketoneketone composites

Heat transfer properties play an important role in processing of polyetherketoneketone (PEKK)/carbon fiber (CF) composites. Accordingly, thermal conductivity and diffusivity of PEKK, PEKK/glassy carbon (GC), and PEKK/CF composites have been studied. Observed increase in conductivity and diffusivity with carbon filler addition was analyzed using the Maxwell–Eucken model. PEKK/GC composites with low carbon fraction indicated good fitting experimental points of the model, indicating good dispersion of particles. For PEKK/CF composites, the thermal conductivity and diffusivity increase is a reflection of a decrease in porosity. Results as observed from the model points to a homogenous dispersion within the PEKK/CF composites as well. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47975.     

Fabrication of surface-treated BN/ETDS composites for enhanced thermal and mechanical properties

The ceramic/polymer composites based on epoxy-terminated dimethylsiloxane (ETDS) and boron nitride (BN) were prepared for use as thermal interface materials (TIMs). 250 µm-sized BN was used as a filler to achieve high-thermal-conductivity composites. To improve the interfacial adhesion between the BN particles and the ETDS matrix, the surface of BN particles were modified with silica via the sol–gel method with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The interfacial adhesion properties of the composites were determined by the surface free energy of the particles using a contact angle test. The surface-modified BN/ETDS composites exhibited thermal conductivities ranging from 0.2 W/m K to 3.1 W/m K, exceeding those of raw BN/ETDS composites at the same weight fractions. Agari׳s model was used to analyze the measured thermal conductivity as a function of the SiO₂-BN concentration. Moreover, the storage modulus of the BN/ETDS composites was found to increase with surface modification of the BN particles.     

Significant enhancement of thermal conductivity in graphite/polyester composite via interfacial π–π interaction

Interfacial thermal resistance between matrix and filler is one of the most serious factors hindering heat transfer in composites. Here, a type of liquid crystalline polyester (LCP) containing phenyl pendant groups was intended to blend with pristine graphite by interfacial interaction. The intensity at 26.6° of the wide angle X‐ray diffraction pattern which exceeded that of pristine graphite indicated the existence of a strong interfacial π–π interaction. Both DSC and XRD tests showed that the ordered structure of the LCP matrix is directly affected by the mass fraction of graphite, indicating the interfacial interaction between LCP and graphite. By increasing the content of graphite, the thermal diffusivity showed a sharp increment by 1004%. The maximum thermal conductivity of the composite reached 28.613 W m^?1 K^?1, which was seven times that of traditional thermoplastic blended with graphite. Compared with the data calculated using effective medium theory, interfacial interaction plays a significant role in enhancing the thermal conductivity of the composites. Furthermore, the maximum tensile strength of this series of composites reached 13.3 MPa and the maximum Young's modulus reached 1067 MPa, exhibiting a potential guideline for further applications in flexible electronics. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation of Porous Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 and β-Ca3(PO4)2 Bioceramics

Submicrometer-sized, pure calcium hydroxyapatite (HA, (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂)) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP, Ca₃(PO₄)₂) bioceramic powders, that have been synthesized via chemical precipitation techniques, were used in the preparation of aqueous slurries that contained methyl cellulose to manufacture porous (70%–95% porosity) HA or β-TCP ceramics. The pore sizes in HA bioceramics of this study were 200–400 μm, whereas those of β-TCP bioceramics were 100–300 μm. The pore morphology and total porosity of the HA and β-TCP samples were investigated via scanning electron microscopy, water absorption, and computerized tomography.     

Mechanical,thermal, and dielectric properties of SiCf/SiC composites reinforced with electrospun SiC fibers by PIP

Electrospun unidirectional SiC fibers reinforced SiC_f/SiC composites (e-SiC_f/SiC) were prepared with ∼10% volume fraction by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process. Pyrolysis temperature was varied to investigate the changes in microstructures, mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of e-SiC_f/SiC composites. The composites prepared at 1100 °C exhibit the highest flexural strength of 286.0 ± 33.9 MPa, then reduced at 1300 °C, mainly due to the degradation of electrospun SiC fibers, increased porosity, and reaction-controlled interfacial bonding. The thermal conductivity of e-SiC_f/SiC prepared at 1300 °C reached 2.663 W/(m∙K). The dielectric properties of e-SiC_f/SiC composites were also investigated and the complex permittivities increase with raising pyrolysis temperature. The e-SiC_f/SiC composites prepared at 1300 °C exhibited EMI shielding effectiveness exceeding 24 dB over the whole X band. The electrospun SiC fibers reinforced SiC_f/SiC composites can serve as a potential material for structural components and EMI shielding applications in the future.     

Thermal conductivity of carbon fiber/liquid crystal polymer composites

Thermally conductive resins are needed for bipolar plates in fuel cells. Currently, the materials used for these bipolar plates often contain a single type of graphite in a thermosetting resin. In this study, varying amounts of two different types of polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibers, Fortafil 243 and Panex 30, were added to a thermoplastic matrix (Vectra A950RX Liquid Crystal Polymer). The resulting single filler composites were tested for thermal conductivity and a simple exponential thermal conductivity model was developed for the square root of the product of the in‐plane and through‐plane thermal conductivity . The experiments showed that the through‐plane thermal conductivity was similar for composites up to 40 vol % fiber. However, at higher loadings, the Panex 30 samples exhibited higher thermal conductivity. The experiments also showed that the in‐plane thermal conductivity of composites containing Panex 30 was higher than those containing Fortafil 243 for all volume fractions studied. Finally, the model agreed very well with experimental data covering a large range of filler volume fraction (from 0 to 55 vol % for both single filler systems). The model can be used with existing through‐plane thermal conductivity models to predict in‐plane thermal conductivity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5456–5462, 2006     

高填充改性复合材料导热预测模型的建立及应用

在对高填充改性复合材料导热过程进行研究的基础上,建立了基于串并联/并串联模型并考虑了界面热阻作用的高填充改性复合材料导热预测模型。借助于双转子连续混炼机制备两种氧化铝粒径不同填充量的聚丙烯/氧化铝（PP/Al₂O₃）复合材料,运用激光导热仪对其导热性能进行了表征,并与模型预测结果进行了对比。结果表明,所建立的模型对高填充复合材料的导热性能的预测具有较高的准确性;当氧化铝填充量较低时,模型中的界面热阻因子最高;随着氧化铝填充量增加,界面热阻因子显著降低;当氧化铝填充量继续增加时,界面热阻因子逐渐降低并趋于稳定;高填充量下相同制备工艺下同种填充改性复合材料的界面热阻近似相同。     

Effect of Reinforcement Particle Size on the Thermal Conductivity of a Particulate-Silicon Carbide-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite

The thermal conductivity of a 40 vol% silicon carbide-particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composite was determined as a function of silicon carbide mean particle size ranging from 0.7 to 28 μm. A size dependence was found consisting of a decrease in thermal conductivity with decreasing SiC particle size. This effect is in accordance with theoretical expectations for composites with an interfacial thermal barrier at the dispersion–matrix interface. At the finest particle size of the silicon carbide, the composite thermal conductivity approached the value for the matrix with pores, as expected from theory. Only at the largest SiC particle size did the composite thermal conductivity exceed the value for the matrix. These results suggest that in maximizing the thermal conductivity of composites with an interfacial thermal barrier, the reinforcement particle size should be as large as practically possible.     

Thermophysical properties of carbon fiber reinforced multilayered (PyC–SiC)n matrix composites

Three kinds of carbon fiber reinforced multilayered (PyC–SiC)_n matrix (C/(PyC–SiC)_n) composites (n = 1, 2 and 4) were prepared by means of layer-by-layer deposition of PyC and SiC via chemical vapor infiltration. Thermal expansion behaviors in the temperature range of 800–2500 °C and thermal conductivity from room temperature to 1900 °C of C/(PyC–SiC)_n composites with various microstructures were investigated. The results show that with increasing PyC–SiC sequences number (n), the coefficients of thermal expansion of the composites decrease due to the increase of interfacial delamination, providing room for thermal expansion. The thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity also decrease with the increase of sequences number, which are attributed to the enhancement of phonon-interface scattering resulted from the increasing number of interfaces. Modified parallel and series models considering the interfacial thermal resistance are proposed to elaborate thermal conductivity of the composites, which is in accordance with the experimental results.     

Thermal and Electric Properties in Hot-Pressed ZrB2–MoSi2–SiC Composites

The thermal and electrical properties of MoSi₂ and/or SiC-containing ZrB₂-based composites and the effects of MoSi₂ and SiC contents were examined in hot-pressed ZrB₂–MoSi₂–SiC composites. The thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of the ZrB₂–MoSi₂–SiC composites were measured at room temperature by a nanoflash technique and a current–voltage method, respectively. The results indicate that the thermal and electrical conductivities of ZrB₂–MoSi₂–SiC composites are dependent on the amount of MoSi₂ and SiC. The thermal conductivities observed for all of the compositions were more than 75 W·(m·K)⁻¹. A maximum conductivity of 97.55 W·(m·K)⁻¹ was measured for the 20 vol% MoSi₂-30 vol% SiC-containing ZrB₂ composite. On the other hand, the electrical conductivities observed for all of the compositions were in the range from 4.07 × 10–8.11 × 10 Ω⁻¹·cm⁻¹.     

β-Si3N4Whiskers Embedded in Oxynitride Glasses: Interfacial Microstructure

Interfacial microstructures in βP-Si₃N₄( w )-Si-Al-Y-O-N-glass systems were investigated by systematically varying the nitrogen content and the Al:Y ratio of the glass matrix. High-resolution and analytical transmission electron microscopy (HREM and AEM) studies revealed that the interfacial microstructure is a function of the glass composition. No interfacial phases were formed in glasses with low Al:Y ratios and in glasses with high Al:Y ratios and low nitrogen content, whereas epitaxial growth of an interfacial layer (100–200 μm thick) on the βP-Si₃N₄( w ) occurred in a glass matrix with high Al:Y ratio and high nitrogen content. The interfacial layer was identified to be a β'-SiAION phase. Interfaces containing the SiAION layer exhibited high debonding energy compared to Si₃N₄( w )–glass interfaces. HREM studies indicated that the lattice-mismatch strain in the SiAION layer was relieved by dislocation formation at the SiAION–Si₃N₄( w ) interface. The difference in interfacial debonding energy was, hence, attributed to the local atomic structure and bonding between the glass-β-Si₃N₄ and the glass–β'-SiAION phases. This observation was clear evidence of the strong influence of glass chemistry on the interfacial debonding behavior by altering the interfacial microstructure.     

Characterization and Mechanical Performance of the Mg-Stabilized β-Ca3(PO4)2 Prepared from Mg-Substituted Ca-Deficient Apatite

The preparation of Mg-stabilized β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) was carried out by an aqueous precipitation method and the characterization of the powders was performed by powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectra, Raman spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The transformation of calcium-deficient apatite into β-TCP has occurred in the range of 700°–800°C. The calculated values for lattice parameters confirm the stabilization role played by Mg. The thermal stability of the Mg-stabilized β-TCP powders was evident until 1400°C, thus broadening the sintering temperature range without transformation into the undesirable α-TCP. Accordingly, the mechanical properties of the Mg-stabilized β-TCP were improved in comparison with those of pure β-TCP.     

Temperature dependence of effective thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of treated and untreated polymer composites

Thermal properties, such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat, of treated and untreated oil palm fiber–reinforced PF composites were measured simultaneously at room temperature and normal pressure using the transient plane source (TPS) technique. An increase in thermal conductivity was observed in the fiber‐treated and resin‐treated composites. Surface modifications of fibers by prealkali, potassium permanganate, and peroxide treatments increased the fiber–matrix adhesion by increasing porosity and pore size of the fiber surfaces. The increase in crosslinking enhanced the thermal conductivity of a composite of resin treated with peroxide compared to other composites. Also an attempt was made to explain the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of amorphous polymer samples using the same technique. It was observed that at the glass‐transition peak of the polymer, thermal conductivity and diffusivity were maximum. Below and above this temperature their values decreased. This has been explained on the basis of predominant scattering processes. An empirical relationship was established for the theoretical prediction of thermal conductivity and diffusivity. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1708–1714, 2003