Dual-oriented elastic composites based on novel CF-CNTs fillers with super thermal management capabilities

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are ideal 1D materials with nanometer-scale diameters, offering outstanding electrical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties, making them widely used in thermal management applications. In this study, high-density CNTs were grown perpendicular to the fiber axis on the carbon fiber (CF) surface to synthesize an innovative CF-CNTs filler. This filler manifests multi-directional thermal conductivity, meaning that heat can be conducted along the axes of both CF and CNTs simultaneously. Then, CF-CNTs were vertically oriented and combined with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare the dual-oriented elastic composite, VACPCN. CF-CNTs hybrid and composites have been tested in multiple dimensions to characterize their unique morphology and physicochemical properties, confirming the successful preparation of CF-CNTs. Due to composite’s fabulous thermal conductivity and elasticity, VACPCN-15 was employed for chip thermal management, reducing the chip’s operating temperature by 6.9 °C. Meanwhile, the composite demonstrated high absorbance (23) and absorptivity (97.9 %) under low load (5 %). After irradiation with a simulated sunlight for 600 s, its temperature rose to 120.1 °C, which is 35.1 °C higher than that of PDMS. Furthermore, VACPCN indicated outstanding thermal cycling and photothermal cycling stability. Overall, the VACPCN exhibits substantial promise for transformative applications in the fields of microelectronic thermal management and solar energy conversion, offering a compelling solution for addressing the growing demands for efficient heat dissipation and renewable energy utilization.