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Development of novel injection moldable materials that are thermally conductive but electrically insulative are important for the continuous advancement in modern electronics. In this context, this article details the fabrication and characterization of polymer–matrix composites (PMC), which consists of linear low-density polyethylene matrix, and filled with either silicon carbide or hexagonal boron nitride. Experimental results indicated that the addition of ceramic fillers not only promoted the PMCs’ effective thermal conductivity without compromising their electrical resistivity but also resulted in the reduction of coefficient of thermal expansion and improved mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The future of integrated circuits with three-dimensional chip architecture hinges on the development of practical solutions for the management of excessive amounts of heat generation. This requires new polymer-matrix composites (PMCs), with good processibility, high effective thermal conductivity ( keff), and low but tailored electrical conductivity (σ). This article explores the synergy of hybrid fillers: (i) hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) platelets with different sizes and shapes; (ii) hBN platelets with carbon-based fillers promoting the keff of the polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites. It explores the promotion of interconnectivity among the fillers in the PPS matrix, leading to higher keff, by the uses of hybrid fillers. It discusses using carbon-based fillers as secondary fillers to tailor the PMCs' σ. Finally, it presents the effects of hybrid fillers on the PMCs' coefficient of thermal expansion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract: The continuous development of electronic devices requires optimum solutions for heat dissipation. This prompts the needs to the development of novel polymer composites that possess high thermal conductivity and high electrical resistivity. This paper discusses the challenges in this research area and some potential strategies to solve the problems. In this work, a thermal conductivity analyzer was designed and implemented to measure the effective thermal conductivity of composites with heterogeneous structures. An analytical model was developed to simulate the effect of contents of spherical fillers on the effective thermal conductivity of the composites. Using the developed model, together with experimentally-measured effective thermal conductivity of various composites, a semi-empirical approach was developed to estimate the thermal interfacial resistance at the polymer–filler interface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier] more...