Enhancing Thermal Conductivity in Polymer Composites through Molding-Assisted Orientation of Boron Nitride

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 16; no. 8; p. 1169
• Main Authors: Liu, Yongjia, Gong, Weiheng, Liu, Xingjian, Fan, Yicheng, He, Aihua, Nie, Huarong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 21.04.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Alignment; Boron; Boron nitride; Composite materials; compression molding; Conductivity; Ethanol; filler orientation; Fillers; Glass transition temperature; Graphene; Heat conductivity; Heat transfer; Hot pressing; Injection molding; Lasers; Magnetic fields; Mass production; Mechanical properties; Molding parameters; polymer composites; Polymer matrix composites; Polymer melts; Polymeric composites; Polymers; Polystyrene; Polystyrene resins; Pressure molding; Reagents; Temperature; Thermal conductivity; Thermal properties; China; Japan; Germany; compression molding; thermal conductivity; polymer composites; filler orientation
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym16081169

Incrementing thermal conductivity in polymer composites through the incorporation of inorganic thermally conductive fillers is typically constrained by the requirement of high filler content. This necessity often complicates processing and adversely affects mechanical properties. This study presents the fabrication of a polystyrene (PS)/boron nitride (BN) composite exhibiting elevated thermal conductivity with a modest 10 wt% BN content, achieved through optimized compression molding. Adjustments to molding parameters, including molding-cycle numbers, temperature, and pressure, were explored. The molding process, conducted above the glass transition temperature of PS, facilitated orientational alignment of BN within the PS matrix predominantly in the in-plane direction. This orientation, achieved at low filler loading, resulted in a threefold enhancement of thermal conductivity following a single molding time. Furthermore, the in-plane alignment of BN within the PS matrix was found to intensify with increased molding time and pressure, markedly boosting the in-plane thermal conductivity of the PS/BN molded composites. Within the range of molding parameters examined, the highest thermal conductivity (1.6 W/m·K) was observed in PS/BN composites subjected to five molding cycles at 140 °C and 10 MPa, without compromising mechanical properties. This study suggests that compression molding, which allows low filler content and straightforward operation, offers a viable approach for the mass production of polymer composites with superior thermal conductivity.