Heat dissipation in 3D printed cellular aluminum nitride structures

The improvement of heat dissipation in electronic and energy devices is a challenge that can be addressed through the use of highly porous materials. Presently, the additive manufacturing of 3D aluminum nitride is described, and different lattice patterns with porosities in the range 45-64 % are achieved by direct ink writing. All the structures are robust and the effective thermal conductivity (k(eff)) for cuboid structures decreases by 50-75 % with the filament separation and shows anisotropic characteristics, since k(eff) along the longitudinal axis of the scaffold is up to six times greater than for the transversal one. Heat transfer during free cooling experiments for cuboid and cylinder scaffolds, after rapid heating at temperatures above 1000 degrees C, takes place by radiation for temperatures >500 degrees C and by convection through the complete cooling process. The heat dissipation time constants of both processes decrease almost linearly with the designed scaffold parameters of porosity and rod separation.

Automated summary

Improving heat dissipation in electronic and energy devices is a challenge that can be solved using highly porous materials. Additive manufacturing of 3D aluminum nitride allows for achieving different lattice patterns with varying porosities, showing anisotropic characteristics. The heat transfer time constants during free cooling experiments are influenced by the designed scaffold parameters.