Shape stabilized three-dimensional porous SiC-based phase change materials for thermal management of electronic components

As electronic components get smaller and more powerful, effective thermal management is needed to address the problem of more heat accumulation due to increased power density. Phase change materials (PCM) have shown great potential in thermal management within confined spaces, but the low thermal conductivity of PCM, and low enthalpy and electrical resistance of composite PCM (CPCM) significantly limit its application in electronic systems. Herein, porous silicon carbide felt (SiC) with stable shape was prepared by using commercial carbon fiber felt (CF) as carbon source. CPCM was prepared by using a multi-layer porous network structure composed of silicon carbide nanowires and silicon carbide fibers as a three-dimensional frame structure to seal paraffin (PA), which improved the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of the PCM. The PA/S1 based on porous SiC skeleton has high thermal conductivity (0.794 W center dot(m center dot K)(-1)), high enthalpy (231.4 J center dot g(-1)), high energy storage efficiency (89.81%) and high electrical resistivity (2.05 x 10(6) ohm center dot cm), as well as good shape stability and acceptable thermal performance. As a kind of thermal management material, CPCM shows excellent heat storage performance and temperature resistance effect, which enlarges the time of the heating element in reaching its peak temperature by five times. Therefore, the CPCM has enormous potential in thermal management of electronic products.

Automated summary

As electronic components become smaller and more powerful, effective thermal management is crucial to deal with the problem of increased heat accumulation. Phase change materials (PCM), particularly composite PCM (CPCM), show potential for thermal management in limited spaces, but their limited thermal conductivity, enthalpy, and electrical resistance hinder their application in electronic systems. In this study, a stable porous silicon carbide felt (SiC) was prepared using commercial carbon fiber felt (CF) as a carbon source. The CPCM, consisting of silicon carbide nanowires and fibers, showed improved thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity. The resulting material exhibited high thermal conductivity (0.794 W·m·K-1), enthalpy (231.4 J·g-1), energy storage efficiency (89.81%), and electrical resistivity (2.05×10^6 Ω·cm), along with shape stability and acceptable thermal performance. CPCM demonstrated excellent heat storage performance and temperature resistance, prolonging the time to reach peak temperature of the heating element fivefold. Therefore, CPCM has significant potential for thermal management in electronic products.