Enhancing thermal conductivity of silicone rubber composites by insitu constructing SiC networks:A finite-element study based on first principles calculation

Polymer composites as thermal interface materials have been widely used in modern electronic equipment.In this work,we report a novel method to prepare highly through-plane thermally conductive silicone rubber(SR)composites with vertically aligned silicon carbide fibers(VA-SiCFs)entangled by SiC nanowires(SiCNWs)networks.First,a series of carbon fibers(CFs)skeletons were fabricated in sequence of coating poor thermally conductive polyacrylonitrile-based CFs with polydopamine,icetemplated assembly,and freeze-drying processes.Furthermore,VA-SiCFs networks,i.e.,long-range continuous SiCFs-SiCNWs networks,based on the prepared CFs skeletons,were in-situ obtained via template-assisted chemical vapor deposition method.The thermal conductivity enhancement mechanism of VA-SiCFs networks on its SR composites was also intensively studied by finite element simulation,based on the first principles investigation of SiC,and Foygel’s theory.The in-situ grown VA-SiCFs networks possess high intrinsic thermal conductivity without the thermal interface between fillers,acting as the high-efficiency through-plane long-range continuous thermal conduction path,in which the SiCNWs were the in-plane“thermal spreader”.The VA-SiCFs/SR composites reached a high through-plane thermal conductivity,2.13 W/(m·K),at the filler loading of 15 vol.%,which is 868.2%,and 249.2%higher than that of pure SR sample,and random-CFs@polydopamine(PDA)/SR composites at the same content,respectively.The VA-SiCFs/SR composites also exhibited good electrical insulation performance and excellent dimensional stability,which guaranteed the stable interfacial heat transfer of high-power density electronic devices.