A new way synthesis of expanded graphite as a thermal filler to enhance the thermal conductivity of DGEBA resin as thermal interface material

In this work, a facile two-step method for the synthesis of highly thermal conductive expanded graphite (EG) was proposed. A binary component system of ammonium persulfate and concentrated sulfuric acid was prepared for the synthesis of EG from natural graphite flakes in which the former one acted as an oxidizing agent and the latter one used as an intercalating agent. Further, the silane functionalization of EG (mEG) was purposefully completed, as confirmed from the X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Epoxy-based thermal interface materials (TIMs) were fabricated with reinforcing EG and mEG by stir-casting method at different filler fraction. The guarded heat flow meter method indicated that the enhancement in thermal conductivity (TC) was 12.12-fold at 10 wt% loading of mEG (mEG10-Ep) than neat epoxy. The binding strength of mEG10-Ep composite tuned to 6.18 +/- 0.8 MPa and determined by a single lap shear test, which confirms better reinforcing effect of silane functionalized EG than neat EG counterpart. The same was also corroborated from porosity evaluation of the composite system. At 50% weight loss in nitrogen atmosphere, thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the composite was stable up to 430 degrees C. Dynamic mechanical analysis was engaged to estimate the glass transition temperature (T-g) of the epoxy composite system, which validates its prospective application as preferred TIMs in the electroactive device. The electrical conductivity of composite was deteriorated due to the encapsulation of EG with nonconductive silane functional groups. The uniform dispersion was achieved by mEG-filled composite as compared to its EG counterpart, which was visualized from fracture surface through scanning electron microscopy.