Enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of natural rubber-based composites co-incorporated with surface treated alumina and reduced graphene oxide

Abstract

Polymer composites with high thermal conductivity and good mechanical properties have considerable potential for application in modern micro-electronic devices. In this study, novel core-shell structured fillers (denoted as F-GA) were synthesized by covalently linking aluminum oxide modified with poly (dopamine) and graphene oxide. F-GA/natural rubber (NR) composites were prepared by vacuum-assisted filtration and their thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were investigated. The thermal conductivity of the F-GA/NR composites was 0.863 W/m·K at 25 wt% F-GA filler loading. In addition, the F-GA/NR composites exhibited outstanding mechanical properties and good electrical insulation properties. The interfacial thermal resistance was reduced because of the presence of covalent bonds and three-dimensional structures. The F-GA/NR composites prepared in the present study have a broad application prospects in advanced electronic packaging materials.