Thermal Conductivity of Graphite-Based Polymer Composites

Abstract

It is well known that polymers are insulators, which limit their usage in other applications where thermal conductivity is essential for heat to be efficiently dissipated or stored. In the past, the improvement in the thermal conductivity of polym.rs with conductive fillers has been investigated by researchers. Carbon-based materials such as graphite, graphene and carbon nanotube, which feature excellent properties such as a high mechanical strength, a high thermal conductivity and a tailorable electronic configuration, have been added to different polymer matrices to enhance their thermal conductivity. Amongst others, graphite more especially expanded graphite merits special interest because of its abundant availability at a relatively low cost and lightweight when compared to other carbon allotropes. Herein, we describe the thermal conductivity of polymer/graphite composites and their applications.

Electrical profile of ultra violet (UV) curable renewable polymer graphite (PG) composites

“…Moreover, the critical electrical percolation threshold for the ternary conductive polymer composites was found to be more than 8 times lower than the single phase systems [13]. It was further observed that UV treatment on the graphite or its polymer composites also played a significant role in the performance of the polymer carbon based composites [14,15].…”

A Review of Multiple Scale Fibrous and Composite Systems for Heating Applications

“…In turn, stacked graphene forms the 3D graphite, which is abundantly available in nature. The atoms are bonded by covalent bonds, the distance between the bonds is approximately 0.412 nm and the distance between the layers of approximately 0.335 nm [ 23 ]. Its sp 2 configuration explains its high in-plane thermal conductivity [ 9 ].…”

“…Its sp 2 configuration explains its high in-plane thermal conductivity [ 9 ]. It can be modified into various forms, namely expanded graphite (EG), graphite nanoplatelets, and graphite flakes (GF), that are easily dispersed in polymers [ 23 ]. EG is a light and worm-like structure with a thickness of 100 to 400 nm, formed when the graphite-intercalated compounds are exposed to a sudden temperature increase for a short time.…”

Thermally enhanced polyolefin composites: fundamentals, progress, challenges, and prospects

“…Graphite is a naturally abundant layered carbon material. It consists of layers of carbons atoms hexagonally bound to each other by covalent bonds with an interatomic separation of 0.142 nm and an interlayer separation of 0.335 nm [ 112 ]. Graphite can be converted into different forms, such as expanded graphite (EG), graphite nanoparticle/exfoliated graphite (GNP), and graphite flakes (GF) to facilitate dispersion into the polymer matrix.…”