Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Expansion Properties of AlN/EP Composite

Abstract

AlN/epoxy (AlN/EP) composites were fabricated by casting method. The effects of the AlN content on microstructure, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion properties of composites were investigated. The results indicate that with the AlN content increasing, the thermal conductivity increase, while the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) decreases. When the volume fraction of AlN is 25%, the thermal conductivity is 0.507 W/m•K, which is about 2.5 times higher than that of the epoxy matrix, while the coefficient of thermal expansion is 53.7 ppm/°C. The thermal conductivity results obtained were also analyzed using the Maxwell-Eucken model to explain the effect of AlN fillers on the formation of thermal conductive networks.