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Thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy composite filled with binary particle system of polygonal aluminum oxide and boron nitride platelets

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Abstract

The increased heat generated in high-density electronics has intensified the search for advanced thermal management solutions. This urge has prompted fundamental studies on various filler-filled polymer composites with enhanced thermal performance. This research is intended to attain better understanding on the effect of particle sizes and geometry of fillers with different ratios of composition on the thermal and mechanical properties of hybrid composite system. It investigates the effect of combining polygonal aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and boron nitride (BN) platelets to enhance the thermal conductivity of epoxy composite. The surface of the two fillers was functionalized with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550), thereby reducing the thermal interfacial resistance between filler and matrix. It was observed that there is no significant difference in the thermal and mechanical performance between BN1µm and BN5µm filler-filled composites. However, at filler loading of 30 wt%, the Al2O3 and BN1µm hybrid filler system (ratio 5:5) provided significant enhancement of maximum thermal conductivity of 0.57 Wm−1 K−1 compared to 0.17 Wm−1 K−1 that of neat epoxy. This synergistic effect results from the bridging of BN platelets between the Al2O3 particles facilitating the formation of effective thermal conductance network within the epoxy matrix.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank USM for the PRGS (1001/PFIZIK/846074) funding, and OSRAM Optosemiconductors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and OSRAM Optosemiconductors GmbH, Regensburg, Germany for characterization facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nano Optoelectronics Research Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Penang, Malaysia

    Anithambigai Permal, Mutharasu Devarajan & Kamarulazizi Ibrahim

  2. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone Phase 1, 11900, Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia

    Huong Ling Hung & David Lacey

  3. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Leibnizstr.4, 93055, Regensburg, Germany

    Thomas Zahner

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  1. Anithambigai Permal
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  2. Mutharasu Devarajan
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  3. Huong Ling Hung
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  4. Thomas Zahner
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Correspondence to Anithambigai Permal.

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All the co-authors have seen and agreed with the contents of the manuscript and there is no financial interest to report. We certify that the submission is the original work by us and is not under review in any other publication. We also would like to justify that we do not have any conflict of interest to declare.

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Permal, A., Devarajan, M., Hung, H.L. et al. Thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy composite filled with binary particle system of polygonal aluminum oxide and boron nitride platelets. J Mater Sci 51, 7415–7426 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-016-0016-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-016-0016-3

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