RTA-treated carbon fiber/copper core/shell hybrid for thermally conductive composites.
In this paper, we demonstrate a facile route to produce epoxy/carbon fiber composites providing continuous heat conduction pathway of Cu with a high degree of crystal perfection via electroplating, followed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment and compression molding. Copper shells on carbon fibers were coated through electroplating method and post-treated via RTA technique to reduce the degree of imperfection in the Cu crystal. The epoxy/Cu-plated carbon fiber composites with Cu shell of 12.0 vol % prepared via simple compression molding, revealed 18 times larger thermal conductivity (47.2 W m(-1) K(-1)) in parallel direction and 6 times larger thermal conductivity (3.9 W m(-1) K(-1)) in perpendicular direction than epoxy/carbon fiber composite. Our novel composites with RTA-treated carbon fiber/Cu core/shell hybrid showed heat conduction behavior of an excellent polymeric composite thermal conductor with continuous heat conduction pathway, comparable to theoretical values obtained from Hatta and Taya model.
Center for Materials Architecturing, Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea.
Seunggun
S
Yu
Bo-In
BI
Park
Cheolmin
C
Park
Soon Man
SM
Hong
Tae Hee
TH
Han
Chong Min
CM
Koo