Constructing highly thermally conductive polystyrene-based composites by introducing multi-walled carbon nanotubes into melamine foam-supported boron nitride network

• Published in: Diamond and related materials Vol. 148; p. 111500
• Main Authors: Han, Weifang, Li, Yang, Liu, Deyi, Zhang, Han, Fu, Peng, Jia, Zhengfeng, Li, Wei, Wang, Yijun, Li, Yuchao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-10-2024
• Subjects: Boron nitride; Carbon nanotubes; Polystyrene-based composites; Thermal conductive network; Thermal management; Boron nitride; Carbon nanotubes; Thermal management; Polystyrene-based composites; Thermal conductive network
• ISSN: 0925-9635
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2024.111500

High-density 3D thermally conductive nanofiller network plays a vital role in the fabrication of polymer-based composites with high thermal conductivity (TC) for thermal management systems. In this work, highly thermally conductive polystyrene (PS)-based composites were prepared by introducing boron nitride nanosheets-coated melamine foam (MF@BNNSs) and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT–COOH). In this unique structure, MF@BNNSs can provide a 3D thermally conductive network, while MWCNT–COOH is embedded into the MF@BNNSs skeleton to improve the network-density. Specifically, the TC of PS/MWCNT/MF@BNNSs composite with 0.6 wt% MWCNT–COOH loading reaches 5.33 W /m· K, about 4.4-fold as high as that of the PS/MF@BNNSs. Moreover, the PS/MWCNT/MF@BNNSs composite exhibits effective heat dissipation capacity after assembling the power LED chip. Due to the isolation effect of MF@BNNSs skeleton, the PS/MWCNT/MF@BNNSs maintain electrical insulation properties. Consequently, the design of the thermal conductive network based on MF@BNNSs and MWCNT–COOH offered a substantial potential avenue for the preparation of polymer-based composites with high TC and insulating properties.
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•MF@BNNSs skeleton was designed and prepared.•MWCNTs were embedded into the MF@BNNSs to improve the network-density.•MWCNT/MF@BNNSs network acts as heat transfer path in PS-based composite.•Significant TC enhancement was achieved at a low MWCNT/MF@BNNSs loading.•The as-obtained PS-based composite maintains reliable electrical insulation.