Facile strategy for constructing highly thermally conductive PVDF-BN/PEG phase change composites based on a salt template toward efficient thermal management of electronics

Abstract

The miniaturization of electronic devices often gives rise to heat accumulation and sudden thermal shocks, which can pose risks to both the device and its users. To address this issue, a unique phase change composite (PCC) has been developed in this study to effectively withstand rapid thermal shocks. Specifically, a porous network comprising a robust skeleton of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/boron nitride (BN)) is constructed using the salt template approach. This network is then infused with polyethylene glycol (PEG) with a molar weight of 2000 g/mol, resulting in the formation of a PCC with a melting temperature of approximately 50 °C. The resulting PCC demonstrates exceptional stability, remarkable thermal conductivity (0.68 W/(mK)), and a high enthalpy (124.44 J/g). Even under continuous heating or extreme thermal shocks, the PCC can maintain the temperature of the electronic chip below 46.8 °C. The composite proposed in this study exhibits significant potential for the transient thermal management of electronic chips.