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Incorporation of polyethylene fillers in all-polymer high-thermal-conductivity composites

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Abstract

This work presents a lightweight electrically insulating composite material for high thermal conductivity: all polymer composites created by mixing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene flakes into a matrix of low-density polyethylene or ethylene vinyl acetate. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene flakes have a reported thermal conductivity of 40 W m−1 K−1, and when 30 volume percent is compounded in an ethylene vinyl acetate matrix, the thermal conductivity is measured to be 2.5 W m−1 K−1 at 52 °C and the notched impact strength is 350 J/m. The temperature stability of the polyethylene flakes is investigated using polarized Raman spectrometry and thermal conductivity measurements, and it is discovered that flakes compounded at temperatures of 115 °C and above show a dramatic drop in thermal conductivity due to melting and reduced polymer chain alignment. This study highlights the possibility of using high-thermal-conductivity polymer fillers in bulk composites for near-room-temperature applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Joao Paulo Berenguer, Tyler Quill, Tony Zhou, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Baratunde Cola & Matthew Smith

  2. George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Arielle Berman, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Baratunde Cola & Thomas Bougher

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  1. Joao Paulo Berenguer
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  2. Arielle Berman
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  3. Tyler Quill
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  4. Tony Zhou
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  5. Kyriaki Kalaitzidou
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  6. Baratunde Cola
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  7. Thomas Bougher
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  8. Matthew Smith
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Correspondence to Thomas Bougher or Matthew Smith.

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Berenguer, J.P., Berman, A., Quill, T. et al. Incorporation of polyethylene fillers in all-polymer high-thermal-conductivity composites. Polym. Bull. 78, 3835–3850 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-020-03282-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-020-03282-5

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