Abstract:
Constructing thermal conductive pathways in polymer matrix with interconnected high conductive thermal fillers is an effective strategy to enhance the thermal conductivity of the composites. In this paper, eutectic Sn-Bi alloy (Sn
57Bi
43) nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of Al
2O
3 microspheres by coreduction method to prepare Al
2O
3-Sn
57Bi
43 hybrids as thermal conductive and electrical insulating fillers for epoxy resin. During the heat curing of epoxy resin, Sn
57Bi
43 nanoparticles on the Al
2O
3 surface melt and bridge the separate fillers together to form effective thermal conductive pathway, and thus enhance the thermal conductivity of the composites. When filler volume fraction is 60vol%, the thermal conductivity of Al
2O
3-Sn
57Bi
43/epoxy composites is 2.95 W·(m·K)
−1, 62.1% higher than that of Al
2O
3/epoxy composites (1.82 W·(m·K)
−1). The results of Fogyel and Agari simulation demonstrate that the deposition of Sn
57Bi
43 on Al
2O
3 surface reduces the thermal contact resistance between fillers and forms thermally conductive networks more easily. The Al
2O
3-Sn
57Bi
43/epoxy composites exhibit higher dielectric loss, lower dielectric strength and volume resistivity than Al
2O
3/epoxy composites, still with electrical insulating properties. What is more, the tensile strength of the Al
2O
3-Sn
57Bi
43/epoxy composites is improved, because the improved interfacial properties of filler-matrix and the formed networks could transfer stress and prevent crack expansion.