Synergetic effects from carbon nanotubes and graphite platelets on thermal properties of Bucky thermal pad

Abstract

Random buckypaper was fabricated by dispersion and micro-filtration of a suspension of carbon nanotubes. In this method, the resulting buckypaper had a porous structure, and its thermal properties were most dependent on the tangency of individual carbon nanotubes. To decrease the thermal resistance of carbon nanotubes, graphite platelets at a large size were mixed with carbon nanotubes to perform buckypaper. The experimental result showed that synegertic effects from two materials could effectively enhance the thermal conductivity of buckypaper, with the thermal conductivity increased from 0.13 W/mK to 0.21 W/ mK. The composite buckypaper was fabricated by the infiltration of silicone oil through the buckypaper. The experimental result of the composite showed that the thermal conductivity increased from 0.26 W/mK to 0.65 W/mK, the contact resistance decreased by 20 times, and the temperature of decomposition also increased from 460oC to 500oC. Those results proved the effects of synergy from different materials.