In51Bi32.5Sn16.5@SiO2 microcapsules-based composite phase change materials with high thermal conductivity and heat storage density for electronics thermal management

Abstract

Combining phase change microcapsules and various matrix materials can construct novel composite phase change materials (CPCMs). These composite materials hold immense potential for electronics thermal management, owing to their adjustable heat storage capacity and stable shape. Most previous studies focus on enhancing the thermal conductivity of CPCMs by adding thermally conductive fillers or modifying the microcapsule shells. Nevertheless, achieving both high thermal conductivity and heat storage density simultaneously remains a challenge. In this paper, low melting point alloy (In51Bi32.5Sn16.5) was introduced as core material of the microcapsule to enhance the thermal conductivity, due to its significantly higher thermal conductivity compared to commonly used organic or inorganic phase change materials (PCMs). In51Bi32.5Sn16.5@SiO2 microcapsule was synthesized through the sol-gel polymerization method. Furtherly, a form-stable CPCMs consisting of the microcapsules and silicone rubber (SR) matrix were prepared for electronics thermal management. The In51Bi32.5Sn16.5@SiO2 microcapsules exhibit an impressive thermal conductivity of 13.49 Wm−1 K−1, acting as a dual-functional filler for thermal storage and thermal conduction enhancement. Hence, the CPCMs possess a significantly enhanced thermal conductivity of 0.45 Wm−1 K−1, representing a remarkable improvement of 350 % compared to that of pure SR. In addition, the phase change heat storage density of the CPCMs was as high as 71.73 J/cm3. Notable, the prepared CPCMs demonstrate exceptional heat dissipation performance, resulting in a remarkable 23 °C reduction in chip temperature when applied for thermal management. This study offers a novel perspective on the preparation of microcapsule-based CPCMs for electronics thermal management.