Electrical and thermophysical properties of epoxy/aluminum nitride nanocomposites: Effects of nanoparticle surface modification

• Published in: Composites. Part A, Applied science and manufacturing Vol. 41; no. 9; pp. 1201 - 1209
• Main Authors: Peng, Wenyi, Huang, Xingyi, Yu, Jinhong, Jiang, Pingkai, Liu, Wenhao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); Aluminum nitride; Applied sciences; B. Electrical properties; B. Thermal properties; Composites; Epoxy resins; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Heat transfer; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymer matrix composites; Technology of polymers; Thermal conductivity; Thermophysical properties; A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B. Electrical properties; B. Thermal properties; Dielectric loss; Electrical conductivity; Electrical properties; Dielectric properties; Aluminium nitride; Epoxy resin; Organic silane; Experimental study; Glass transition temperature; Composite material; Surface treatment; Coupling agent; Non oxide ceramics; Thermal properties; Morphology; Thermal conductivity; Nanocomposite; Permittivity
• ISSN: 1359-835X; 1878-5840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.05.002

The traditional epoxy resin used for electrical and electronic industry has a poor thermal conductivity and no longer meets the increasingly cooling requirements of electric equipments and electronic devices. Ceramic nanoparticles with high thermal conductivity and low dielectric constant represent good candidates to improve the thermophysical properties of epoxy resin. This paper reports the effects of surface modification of AlN nanoparticles on morphology, glass transition, electrical property and thermal conductivity of the epoxy composites. Gamma-aminopropyl triethoxysilane was used as a silane coupling agent for the surface modification of the AlN nanoparticles. It was found that the surface modification of the nanoparticles not only improved the dispersion of the nanoparticles, but also showed an enhancement in electrical and thermophysical properties of the epoxy composites. The surface modification technology presented a strategy to prepare nanocomposites having high thermal conductivity simultaneously with low dielectric loss.