Effect of various nanoparticle fillers on the thermal contact resistance (TCR) between crystals and aluminium alloys materials

Abstract

This study fills a gap in how various nanoparticle fillers affect the thermal contact resistance (TCR) of the thermal material interface between different materials. Thermal interface materials (TIMs) provide a vital method for the reduction of thermal contact resistance and can greatly improve thermal conductivity between surfaces in contact. This study investigates the working characteristics of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) crystals and aluminium alloy (5A06) in an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) device, where TIMs with a thermally conductive silicone grease QM850 as the base was prepared and doped with five different types of nanoparticles. The effects of nanoparticle type, volume ratio, and surface roughness of the aluminium alloy on TCR were determined through experimental analysis. The results demonstrate that, when the volume ratio of nanoparticles in TIMs is held constant, TCR decreases as the thermal conductivity of nanoparticles increases. TCR reaches its lowest value at a volume ratio of 30% but increases significantly due to agglomeration effects when the ratio exceeds this point. The aluminium alloy's surface roughness also impacts TCR, but the addition of nanocomposites with varying volume content as TIMs can effectively mitigate this effect. This study provides valuable theoretical support for reductions in TCR between metal and crystal materials, which can significantly affect the thermal structural design of crystal modules.