Thermal and electrical conduction behavior of alumina and multiwalled carbon nanotube incorporated poly(dimethyl siloxane)

Alumina particles were incorporated in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) matrix in company with multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) for improving the thermal and electrical conductivities. The concentration of MWCNT was increased from 0 to 10 wt% to PDMS at fixed amounts of alumina (200 and 300 wt% to PDMS). Thermal conductivity of PDMS composites was increased with the increasing amount of MWCNT and the excellent dispersibility of the incorporated pristine MWCNT was achieved. Thermal and electrical conductivities of the composites were increased with the increasing concentration of the alumina because the alumina particles help disperse MWCNT within the PDMS matrix due to the ball milling effect during compounding. The properties of the alumina and MWCNT incorporated PDMS composites were investigated in terms of the curing characteristics, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. The MWCNT/alumina incorporated composite showed the high electrical conductivity to the level of the semiconductor. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.