Here we report the effect of microwave treatment on a silica-carbon (SiO 2 /C) filler derived from rice husk and the function of the microwave-treated filler in an epoxy matrix for electronic packaging applications. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed improved thermal stability of the SiO 2 /C filler upon microwave treatment. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated partial SiC formation after the microwave treatment. For packaging applications, compared to that of the pure epoxy polymer, the thermal conductivity of the epoxy-SiO 2 /C composite was improved by 178% at 40 wt % content of the microwave-treated SiO 2 /C filler. Furthermore, an improvement of 149% in storage modulus and 17.6 C in glass transition temperature of the epoxy-SiO 2 /C composites was realized. The improvement in thermal stability of SiO 2 /C filler could be achieved via a simple microwave treatment, which in turn enhanced the thermal stability, thermal conduction, and thermomechanical strength of the electronic packaging materials.
In this study, a carbon‐controllable hierarchical micro/mesoporous carbon–silica material derived from agricultural waste rice husk was easily synthesized and utilized as filler in an epoxy matrix for electronic packaging applications. Scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms were used to characterize the morphology, thermal stability, carbon content, and porous structural properties, respectively, of the as‐obtained carbon–silica material, namely rice husk char (RHC). As a filler material, the uniformly dispersed RHC filler in the epoxy/RHC composite was easily prepared through hydrogen bonding of the silanol group of silica with the epoxy matrix. For electronic packaging applications, the thermal conductivity and thermomechanical properties (storage modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion) of the epoxy/RHC composites improved with increasing carbon content. Moreover, loading of the 40% RHC filler substantially enhanced the storage modulus of the epoxy/RHC composite (5735 MPa) compared to the epoxy with 40% commercial silica filler (3681 MPa). Considerable commercial potential is expected for the carbon–silica composite because of the simple synthesis process and outstanding performance of the prepared packaging material.
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