Oriented Three-Dimensional Skeletons Assembled by Si3N4 Nanowires/AlN Particles as Fillers for Improving Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Composites

With the miniaturization of current electronic products, ceramic/polymer composites with excellent thermal conductivity have become of increasing interest. Traditionally, higher filler fractions are required to obtain a high thermal conductivity, but this leads to a decrease in the mechanical properties of the composites and increases the cost. In this study, silicon nitride nanowires (Si(3)N(4)NWs) with high aspect ratios were successfully prepared by a modified carbothermal reduction method, which was further combined with AlN particles to prepare the epoxy-based composites. The results showed that the Si(3)N(4)NWs were beneficial for constructing a continuous thermal conductive pathway as a connecting bridge. On this basis, an aligned three-dimensional skeleton was constructed by the ice template method, which further favored improving the thermal conductivity of the composites. When the mass fraction of Si(3)N(4)NWs added was 1.5 wt% and the mass fraction of AlN was 65 wt%, the composites prepared by ice templates reached a thermal conductivity of 1.64 W center dot m(-1)center dot K-1, which was similar to 720% of the thermal conductivity of the pure EP (0.2 W center dot m(-1)center dot K-1). The enhancement effect of Si(3)N(4)NWs and directional filler skeletons on the composite thermal conductivity were further demonstrated through the actual heat transfer process and finite element simulations. Furthermore, the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composites were also improved by the introduction of Si(3)N(4)NWs, suggesting that prepared composites exhibit broad prospects in the field of thermal management.

Automated summary

With the miniaturization of electronic products, there is an increasing interest in ceramic/polymer composites with excellent thermal conductivity. In this study, silicon nitride nanowires with high aspect ratios were successfully prepared and combined with aluminum nitride particles to prepare composites. The results showed that the nanowires contributed to the construction of a continuous thermal conductive pathway and the use of ice template further improved the thermal conductivity of the composites.