Excellent Electrical Insulation Research Articles

Diminish charge loss by mica incorporation into nylon nanofibers for performance enhancement of triboelectric nanogenerators operating in harsh ambient

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a fascinating energy-harvesting device that utilizes the triboelectric effect caused by contact electrification and electrostatic induction. Nylon 66 is used widely in TENG applications because it is a representative tribo-positive polymer with excellent biocompatibility. On the other hand, the generated charges are vulnerable to discharge due to moisture in the air, which impedes the TENG performance in harsh environments. Moreover, the dielectric loss, which generates heat by consuming the considerable electric charge in triboelectric materials, significantly degrades the TENG performances. This study fabricated the composite nanofiber (NF) structure of nylon 66 and mica, which has excellent electrical insulation, low dielectric loss, high thermal conductivity, and enhanced tribo-positive properties, to circumvent these problems. Embedding the mica into the nylon NFs enhanced the TENG performance and prevented performance degradation even in harsh environments at a relative humidity of 70%. Furthermore, after 100,000 cycles of friction, the nylon/mica composite NFs showed smaller temperature increments than the pristine nylon NF because of the low dielectric loss and efficient heat dissipation of the mica. The nylon/mica composite NFs were applied to a sustainable and wearable power generator operating in a humid and hot environment by attaching the device to the forearm and soles of the feet. The generators were efficient enough to turn on 80 light-emitting diodes.

Eco-Friendly Production of Boron Nitride Nanosheets via Deep Eutectic Solvents and Their Application in Enhancing Thermal Conductivity of PVDF Composites.

Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) are expected to be ideal fillers because of their high thermal conductivity and excellent electrical insulation. However, it is still an open challenge to produce BNNS on a large scale using ecofriendly solvents. Here, first, we demonstrate an effective liquid exfoliation method for producing BNNS via utilizing deep eutectic solvents (DES) composed of D,L-menthol and various acids with the assistance of ultrasonication. The results show that the BNNSs with sizes of 1-2 μm in width and 6-8 nm in thickness were successfully exfoliated with a DES formulation of D,L-menthol and decanoic acid. Second, the obtained BNNSs were used for fabricating 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate@polydopamine functionalized BNNS (HDDA@BNNSs-PDA) core-shell microspheres via a Pickering emulsion method. Furthermore, these microspheres were incorporated into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix to construct 3D thermally conductive networks, leading to a substantial enhancement in the thermal conductivity of the resulting composites. Impressively, the composites with only 25 wt % of BNNS loading reach a high thermal conductivity of 3.20 W/m K, which is a 1500% increase over the pure polymer matrix. This work not only provides a significant way for producing BNNSs ecofriendly but also demonstrates a tactic for constructing 3D thermally conductive networks.

Thermoplastic polyimide with good comprehensive performance based on carbazole groups and short flexible linkages

AbstractThermoplastic polyimides (TPIs) can meet the requirements of advanced electronic packaging such as flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) applied under extreme conditions, attributed to their excellent thermal stability, mechanical properties, electrical insulation and chemical resistance. With the increasing demands for electronic devices, such as applications in high‐frequency communication, it is highly desirable to develop high‐performance TPI with good thermoplasticity, thermal stability, mechanical properties and dielectric properties. However, there is a trade‐off between thermoplasticity and other properties. Herein, we introduce an effective strategy to afford TPIs with good performance by copolymerization of a diamine monomer consisted of a coplanar aromatic carbazole group and a short flexible linkage methylene group. On the one hand, short flexible linkages help improve the flexibility of polymer chains and are not too much to enable small‐scale molecular motions below Tg. On the other hand, coplanar aromatic donor groups benefit to strong charge transfer complex (CTC) interaction and π‐π stacking interaction. Based on this strategy, the resultant TPI possesses good thermoplasticity with a proper Tg of 348 °C. Meanwhile, it preserves a low coefficient thermal expansion of 48 ppm K−1, low dielectric constant/dielectric loss factor of 3.27/0.0073 at 10 GHz, and tensile strength of ca. 78 MPa.

Filter-paper-derived CF/M/C (M = Co, Ni, or Fe/Fe3O4) 2D interlinked frameworks toward ultrawide absorption bands, high thermal conductivity, and excellent electrical insulation

Reasonable design of protective multifunctional materials is highly required for the safety protection of devices/personnel from electromagnetic radiation and heat damage in the 5G/6G era. Herein, a simple soaking-annealing route was adopted to carbonize filter paper into 2D interlinked carbon fiber frameworks inlaid with magnetic nanoparticles, and the products were referred to as CF/M/C 2DIFs (M = Co, Ni, or Fe/Fe3O4). The concentration and type of metal ions as well as the annealing temperature of the CF/M/C 2DIFs were controlled to precisely modulate their composition, porosity, and defects. Results show that the CF/Co/C 2DIFs produced under Ta = 600 °C and [Co2+] = 0.45 mol/L exhibit high thermal conductivity (2.931 ∼ 3.167 W/m·K) at small loads (10 ∼ 30 wt%) owing to not merely the presence of 2D interlinked path for electron/phonon heat co-transfer but the reasonable control of interface/defects for weakening phonon/electron defect/interface scattering. Also, the CF/Co/C 2DIFs can attenuate microwaves over a broad frequency range via dielectric/magnetic dual loss and 2DIFs, which boosts their loss ability and matching performance. The excellent performance in both heat dissipation and EM wave absorption proves that the CF/M/C 2DIFs can be a promising candidate for next-generation electronic packaging materials in heat management, military, and aerospace fields.

Highly Thermally Conductive Flexible Biomimetic APTES-BNNS/BC Nanocomposite Paper by Sol-Gel-Film Technology.

Owing to the evolution of 5G technology, new energy vehicles, flexible electronics, miniaturization and integration of microelectronic devices, high-frequency and high-power devices, and thermal management of materials must consider additional limitations such as electrical insulation, excellent transverse heat transfer, flexibility, and weight. Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) are ideal insulating materials with high thermal conductivity. However, the problem of the 3D thermal conductivity pathway and toughness strength of nanocomposite paper loaded with inorganic thermal conductivity fillers remains a huge challenge. In this study, we propose a new method for preparing ultrathin, large, and uniformly thick BNNS for quantitative production. Bulk hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) layers were exfoliated using a simple and low-cost hydrothermal reaction, and large-scale fewer-layered BNNSs were efficiently prepared by ball milling with a high yield (up to 80%). Based on the aforementioned step, a flexible insulating composite film with high thermal conductivity and a natural "brick-mud" shell structure was constructed via the sol-gel-film conversion method. After prestretching and hot-pressing treatment, the hydrogels became denser, and the modified BNNS formed a three-dimensional (3D) network structure with an ordered orientation and interconnections in the bacterial cellulose (BC) matrix. After 100 folding cycles, the tensile strength of the nanofiber composite film reached 53 MPa, and the strength retention rate exceeded 42%. By optimizing the modified BNNS content, the thermal conductivity reached 24 W/(m·K). This simple approach has wide application potential in the next-generation electronic devices, providing options for designing thermal interface materials with excellent electrical insulation, high thermal stability, and flexibility.

A Novel Thermal Interface Material Composed of Vertically Aligned Boron Nitride and Graphite Films for Ultrahigh Through-Plane Thermal Conductivity.

The relentless drive toward miniaturization in microelectronic devices has sparked an urgent need for materials that offer both high thermal conductivity (TC) and excellent electrical insulation. Thermal interface materials (TIMs) possessing these dual attributes are highly sought after for modern electronics, but achieving such a combination has proven to be a formidable challenge. In this study, a cutting-edge solution is presented by developing boron nitride (BN) and graphite films layered silicone rubber composites with exceptional TC and electrical insulation properties. Through a carefully devised stacking-cutting method, the high orientation degree of both BN and graphite films is successfully preserved, resulting in an unprecedented through-plane TC of 23.7Wm-1K-1 and a remarkably low compressive modulus of 4.85MPa. Furthermore, the exceptional properties of composites, including low thermal resistance and high resilience rate, make them a reliable and durable option for various applications. Practical tests demonstrate their outstanding heat dissipation performance, significantly reducing CPU temperatures in a computer cooling system. This research work unveils the possible upper limit of TC in BN-based TIMs and paves the way for their large-scale practical implementation, particularly in the thermal management of next-generation electronic devices.

Study of the Dielectric and Corona Resistance Properties of PI Films Modified with Fluorene Moiety/Aluminum Sec-Butoxide.

With the policy tilt and increased investment in research and development in the world, new energy vehicle technology continues to progress and the drive motor power density continues to improve, which puts forward higher requirements for the comprehensive performance of the core insulating material enameled wire enamel for drive motors. Polyimide (PI) has excellent electrical insulation properties, and heat resistance is often used to drive the motor winding insulation. To further improve the corona resistance and insulating properties of PI wire enamel varnish, in this paper, firstly, fluorene groups with a rigid conjugated structure were introduced into the molecular chain of the PI film by molecular structure modulation, and then uniformly dispersed alumina nanoclusters (AOCs) were introduced into the PI matrix by using an in situ growth process to inhibit the migration of high-energy electrons. The quantum size effect of the alumina nanoclusters was exploited to synergistically enhance the suppression and scattering of energetic moving electrons by PI-based composite films. The results show that the breakdown field strength of the PI-based composite film (MPI/1.0 vol% AOC) reaches 672.2 kV/mm, and the corona resistance life reaches 7.9 min, which are, respectively, 1.55 and 2.19 times higher than those of the initial PI film. A PI-based composite film with excellent insulating and corona resistance properties was obtained.

Thermally conductive h-BN/EP composites oriented by AC electric field induction

The excellent electrical insulation properties and mechanical properties of epoxy resin (EP) have led to its rapid development in the field of microelectronic packaging. However, the poor thermal conductivity of epoxy resins (thermal conductivity of only 0.14 W/(m·K)) limits the development of components for high power. Adding h-BN to epoxy resin to prepare composites can effectively improve the thermal conductivity of epoxy resin. In this paper, h-BN/EP high thermal conductivity composites were prepared by means of AC electric field induction with the goal of making the composites low loading and high thermal conductivity (loading of 10 wt%). It was shown that the h-BN/EP composite had the highest thermal conductivity of 0.310 W/(m·K) when applied to an AC electric field of 120 V/mm and 50 Hz for 1 h. It was 2.214 times higher than that of EP and 1.325 times higher than that of the same-loaded h-BN/EP composite (0.234 W/(m·K)). A thermal conductivity model that can predict the thermal conductivity of composites prepared using the same type of method is also developed, which extends the applicability of the thermal conductivity model. The prepared composites have good thermal management capability. The method is easy to be engineered and has great potential for use in electronic packaging and even other high thermal conductivity applications.

A polymer trench filling based silicon isolation technique and its application to two-axis scanning comb-drive micromirrors

Electrostatic micromirrors can be widely used in LiDAR, displays, AR/VR and medical imaging. Electrically insulated silicon enabled by trenches filled with thermal oxide and polysilicon is commonly used for 2-axis electrostatic comb-drive scanning mirrors made on SOI (silicon-on-insulator) wafers. These trenches provide both electrical isolation and mechanical stability. However, this method has drawbacks such as high deposition temperature, voids, and high residual stress. In this work, a polymer filling method is proposed to form electrical insulation trenches in the silicon device layer of SOI wafers. Only low-temperature processes are used in this method and the silicon trenches can be fully filled up reliably. Furthermore, the filling polymer not only relieves residual stresses but also significantly increases the shock resistance of the micromirrors made with this method. In particular, Benzocyclobutene (BCB) is employed and a process has been developed to effectively fill deep silicon trenches. Using this method, two-axis electrostatic micromirrors have been successfully fabricated and tested. Experimental results show that the BCB-filled trenches demonstrate excellent electrical insulation performance and mechanical stability and the fabricated 2-axis mirrors can achieve a large field of view of 60°×40° and stand high impact over 2500 g.

Highly Thermally Conductive Aramid Nanofiber Composite Films with Synchronous Visible/Infrared Camouflages and Information Encryption

AbstractThe development of highly thermally conductive composites that combine visible light/infrared camouflage and information encryption has been endowed with great significance in facilitating the application of 5G communication technology in military fields. This work uses aramid nanofibers (ANF) as the matrix, hetero‐structured silver nanowires@boron nitride nanosheets (AgNWs@BNNS) prepared by in situ growth as fillers, which are combined to fabricate sandwich structured thermally conductive and electrically insulating (BNNS/ANF)‐(AgNWs@BNNS)‐(BNNS/ANF) (denoted as BAB) composite films by “filtration self‐assembly, air spraying, and hot‐pressing” method. When the mass ratio of AgNWs@BNNS to BNNS is 1 : 1 and the total mass fraction is 50 wt %, BAB composite film has the maximum in‐plane thermal conductivity coefficient (λ∥ of 10.36 W/(m ⋅ K)), excellent electrical insulation (breakdown strength and volume resistivity of 41.5 kV/mm and 1.21×1015 Ω ⋅ cm, respectively) and mechanical properties (tensile strength of 170.9 MPa). 50 wt % BAB composite film could efficiently reduce the equilibrium temperature of the central processing unit (CPU) working at full power, resulting in 7.0 °C lower than that of the CPU solely integrated with ANF directly. In addition, BAB composite film boasts adaptive visible light/infrared dual camouflage properties on cement roads and jungle environments, as well as the function of fast encryption of QR code information within 24 seconds.

Highly Thermally Conductive Aramid Nanofiber Composite Films with Synchronous Visible/Infrared Camouflages and Information Encryption.

The development of highly thermally conductive composites that combine visible light/infrared camouflage and information encryption has been endowed with great significance in facilitating the application of 5G communication technology in military fields. This work uses aramid nanofibers (ANF) as the matrix, hetero-structured silver nanowires@boron nitride nanosheets (AgNWs@BNNS) prepared by in situ growth as fillers, which are combined to fabricate sandwich structured thermally conductive and electrically insulating (BNNS/ANF)-(AgNWs@BNNS)-(BNNS/ANF) (denoted as BAB) composite films by "filtration self-assembly, air spraying, and hot-pressing" method. When the mass ratio of AgNWs@BNNS to BNNS is 1 : 1 and the total mass fraction is 50 wt %, BAB composite film has the maximum in-plane thermal conductivity coefficient (λ∥ of 10.36 W/(m ⋅ K)), excellent electrical insulation (breakdown strength and volume resistivity of 41.5 kV/mm and 1.21×1015 Ω ⋅ cm, respectively) and mechanical properties (tensile strength of 170.9 MPa). 50 wt % BAB composite film could efficiently reduce the equilibrium temperature of the central processing unit (CPU) working at full power, resulting in 7.0 °C lower than that of the CPU solely integrated with ANF directly. In addition, BAB composite film boasts adaptive visible light/infrared dual camouflage properties on cement roads and jungle environments, as well as the function of fast encryption of QR code information within 24 seconds.

High thermally conductive polyimide film designed with heterostructural Cring-C3N4 filler and multilayer strategy

With the emerging of advanced flexible electronic, the PI film with excellent thermally conductive, flexible, lightweight, electrically insulating qualities is in high demand as a potential substrate and encapsulation material. Conventional thermally conductive fillers such as ceramic, metal and carbon material with high hardness, high density or electrical conductivity are unsuitable to prepare the advanced PI film. Furthermore, the confined loading of thermally conductive filler in PI matrix limited by its film-forming property is another obstacle to optimizing the thermal conductivity of PI film. In this work, the development of novel filler (carbon nitride in-plane grafted by two-dimensional carbon material, Cring-C3N4) with intrinsic thermal conductivity and a design of three-layer structure for the introduction of high filler loading have dramatically improved the thermal conductivity of PI film. Benefitting by the planar heterostructure construction of g-C3N4 and Cring, the existence of Cring increases the phonon transfer rate in g-C3N4, and the presence of g-C3N4 prevents the electron movement in the facet of Cring-C3N4 endowing its excellent electrical insulation property. The design of three-layer structure in which the first and third layers served as mechanical support layers with a fixed filler content (20 wt%). The second layer has the higher filler content to enhance the quantity of thermally conductive filler in PI film. Resultantly, the maximum out-of-plane thermal conductivity of the PI/Cring-C3N4 composite film is 1.35 Wm−1K−1, which is 10 times higher than the pure PI film. In addition, the PI/Cring-C3N4 composite film exhibit excellent photothermal conversion ability in which the saturation temperature of PI/Cring-C3N4 can reach 283.6 °C under 0.75 W/cm2 laser radiation being 6 times higher than that of the corresponding PI film. After the incorporation of Cring-C3N4, the PI composite film still has excellent thermal stability, low CTE, electrical insulation and mechanical properties. This work provides a novel idea for the preparation of advanced high thermal conductivity PI film.

Preparation of MoS2@PDA-Modified Polyimide Films with High Mechanical Performance and Improved Electrical Insulation.

Polyimide (PI) has been widely used in cable insulation, thermal insulation, wind power protection, and other fields due to its high chemical stability and excellent electrical insulation and mechanical properties. In this research, a modified PI composite film (MoS2@PDA/PI) was obtained by using polydopamine (PDA)-coated molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a filler. The low interlayer friction characteristics and high elastic modulus of MoS2 provide a theoretical basis for enhancing the flexible mechanical properties of the PI matrix. The formation of a cross-linking structure between a large number of active sites on the surface of the PDA and the PI molecular chain can effectively enhance the breakdown field strength of the film. Consequently, the tensile strength of the final sample MoS2@PDA/PI film increased by 44.7% in comparison with pure PI film, and the breakdown voltage strength reached 1.23 times that of the original film. It can be seen that the strategy of utilizing two-dimensional (2D) MoS2@PDA nanosheets filled with PI provides a new modification idea to enhance the mechanical and electrical insulation properties of PI films.

A metal-based microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) with high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation and flame retardancy and its application in epoxy resin

Using the “double-layer coating, sacrificial inner layer” method, MEPCM with a thermal expansion void was prepared by encapsulating Sn particles into a magnesium hydroxide shell. The results showed that MEPCM exhibited better thermal reliability than those without a thermal expansion void. More importantly, the Sn was selected as the core material that MEPCM was enabled to have large volume latent heat (425.2 J/cm3) and high thermal conductivity (10.06 W/m·K), and magnesium hydroxide was chosen as the shell material that MEPCM was given great heat absorption ability (260 J/g), excellent electrical insulation performance and flame retardancy. By adding 20 vol% MEPCM to EP, the thermal conductivity of the composite improved 164.9 %. The volume resistivity of EP/MEPCM composites was 2.1 × 1012 Ω·cm. The pHRR and THR of EP/MEPCM composites were only 471.64 kW/m2 and 12.95 m2, respectively. The existence of MEPCM enhanced the thermal conductivity, electrical insulation performance and flame retardancy of EP.

Thermal Conductivity Enhancement of Polymeric Composites Using Hexagonal Boron Nitride: Design Strategies and Challenges.

With the integration and miniaturization of chips, there is an increasing demand for improved heat dissipation. However, the low thermal conductivity (TC) of polymers, which are commonly used in chip packaging, has seriously limited the development of chips. To address this limitation, researchers have recently shown considerable interest in incorporating high-TC fillers into polymers to fabricate thermally conductive composites. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has emerged as a promising filler candidate due to its high-TC and excellent electrical insulation. This review comprehensively outlines the design strategies for using h-BN as a high-TC filler and covers intrinsic TC and morphology effects, functionalization methods, and the construction of three-dimensional (3D) thermal conduction networks. Additionally, it introduces some experimental TC measurement techniques of composites and theoretical computational simulations for composite design. Finally, the review summarizes some effective strategies and possible challenges for the design of h-BN fillers. This review provides researchers in the field of thermally conductive polymeric composites with a comprehensive understanding of thermal conduction and constructive guidance on h-BN design.

Thermal conductivity and dielectric properties of EP composites filled by one-dimensional core-shell structured h-BN@SiO2 fibers

With the miniaturization and integration of modern high-power electronic devices, heat accumulation has become a key issue affecting their performance and reliability, which puts forward higher requirements for the thermal conductivity of polymer materials. In this study, boron nitride (h-BN) was dispersed into silica sol, and high aspect ratio core-shell fillers (h-BN@SiO2) were prepared by electrospinning. Then h-BN@SiO2/epoxy resin (EP) composites were prepared by hot pressing. Owing to the macroscopic and microscopic “double network” conduction paths constructed by h-BN@SiO2 fillers, the in-plane thermal conductivity (λ||) of h-BN@SiO2-Ⅲ/EP composites is 6.719 Wm−1K−1, which is 27 times that of EP, and the out-of-plane thermal conductivity (λ⊥) is 0.698 Wm−1K−1, which is 4 times that of EP. The simulation and the classical thermal conductivity model verify that the new designed filler in this paper has advantages over the traditional filler in terms of heat transfer. More importantly, the prepared composites also maintain excellent electrical insulation and dielectric properties, which provides a new idea for the preparation of high thermal conductivity electrical insulation composites.

Polysiloxane-Coated PI Nonwoven Separators with Higher Thermal and Electrochemical Stability for Lithium Ion Battery Application

Polyolefin separators are widely used for most of commercial application owing to their excellent mechanical properties, electrical insulation, and internal porous structures. The raw polyolefin materials have economic viability and possess facile mechanical extension suitable for processing as a film [1]. However, the inherent thermal property of polyolefin inevitably results in the severe thermal deformation of the separators upon the elevation of LiB temperature that has been pointed out as a major cause of fire in LiBs with the possibility of short circuits caused by lithium dendrites [2]. There have been trials to secure cycle characteristics by preventing LiB separators from shrinkage. But, even the coated polyolefin separator couldn’t have thermal stability at high temperatures above 180 oC, since the polyolefin was the base film material.Many studies have been performed to achieve high temperature stability with engineering plastics, including polyimide (PI) [1]. As PI has superior thermal stability, it has been widely applied as nonwoven separators. PI nonwoven fabric separators exhibit stability usually above 200 oC. As PI nonwoven separators have also high ionic conductivity and good electrolyte wettability, it is therefore expected to show excellent rate capability and cyclability [3]. Despite those advantages, however, PI nonwoven separators still have several issues to resolve before application of them to LiBs. One of the problems is the existence of large pores [4]. Pores over a certain size is thought to render particles in cathode active materials pass through or Li dendrites penetrate upon overcharging. Then, it can result in leakage current and internal short circuit eventually. Various studies such as particle-coating or ceramic-coating have been studied in order to figure out this problem [26].Other than pore-size distribution or existence of large pores, it must be the electrochemical stability of PI nonwoven separator and the electrochemical cell performance with the separator at high voltage that needs to be studied and examined for the potential application to LiBs [3]. In accordance with the strong demand on high power LiB development, study on the electrochemical resistance of materials and components is highly required [5]. As PI has polar chemical structure in contrast to non-polar chemical structure of polyolefin, it would be worthy to investigate the electrochemical nature and stability under high current or high voltage. In this study, a PI nonwoven separator is modified by coating of polysiloxane to improve its electrochemical stability and properties as well as its porous structure. As the coated PI nonwoven separator should be stable up to 200 oC due to the robust PI frame and the modification via polysilicon-coating is rather simple, the feasibility of this chemical approach is demonstrated and studied including its electrochemical behaviors. Ionic conductivity, electrolyte wettability, and gas permeability of the modified separator is also examined as a set of tests for LiB application. It was electrochemically stable during LSV even at 5 V vs Li+/Li. The polysiloxane-coating maintains or improves the excellent thermal and electrical stability of the PI nonwoven separators. The full cell test demonstrated that the polysiloxane-coating enabled a cyclability of 98.6% after 100 cycles, while the PI nonwoven could not be charged due to an internal short circuit.[1] H. Lee, M. Yanilmaz, O. Toprakci, K. Fu, X. Zhang, A review of recent developments in membrane separators for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, Energy Environ. Sci, 7, 2014, 3857.[2] X. Zhang, E. Sahraei, K. Wang, Li-ion Battery Separators, Mechanical Integrity and Failure Mechanisms Leading to Soft and Hard Internal Shorts, Sci. Rep., 6, 2016, 32578.[3] Z. Lu, F. Sui, Y. Miao, G. Liu, C. Li, W. Dong, J. Cui, T. Liu, J. Wu, C. Yang, Polyimide separators for rechargeable batteries, J. Energy Chem., 58, 2021, 170.[4] G. Dong, B. Liu, G. Sun, G. Tian, S. Qi, D. Wu, TiO2 nanoshell@polyimide nanofiber membrane prepared via a surface-alkaline-etching and in-situ complexation-hydrolysis strategy for advanced and safe LIB separator, J. Membr. Sci., 577, 2019, 249.[5] Y. Xiang, J. Li, J. Lei, D. Liu, Z. Xie, D. Qu, K. Li, T. Deng, H. Tang, Advanced Separators for Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: A Review of Recent Progress, ChemSusChem, 9, 2016, 1. Figure 1

Hollow waveguide CO2 laser sensing system for rapid detection of trace sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) has been widely applied in electrical facilities due to its excellent electrical insulation and high-voltage arc extinguishing properties, although it is a potent greenhouse gas. Rapid detection of trace SF6 gas is significant for monitoring the operation safety of high-voltage power grid facilities and greenhouse gas emissions. In this work, a SF6 gas sensing system was proposed and built using a CO2 laser as the light source and a 700 μm bore Ag/AgI hollow glass waveguide (HGW) as the gas chamber and laser transmission channel. Sensing performances of the SF6 gas HGW sensors with different lengths were investigated. The gas sensing sensitivity and standard deviation (SD) of blank increase as the waveguide length increases. The limit of detection (LOD) decreases with waveguide length increase but the decline becomes less pronounced after the length exceeds 120 cm. The HGW length exhibits minor effect on the response and recovery time of the sensor system. The sensor sensitivity undergoes a slight reduction as the HGW is bent. Optimization of the sensing performance was achieved based on the straight 120 cm-length HGW SF6 gas sensor system. Its sensitivity reaches 0.384 dB/ppm and the LOD is 148 ppb with good cyclic response characteristics (response and recovery time 2–3 s). The present work provides a feasible idea for building up a trace SF6 gas sensing system with simple structure, easy operation and high performances.

Nacre-inspired composite paper of PVA crosslinked basalt scale and nanocellulose with enhanced mechanical, electrical insulating and ultraviolet-resistant aging performance

Silicate scales are commonly incorporated into cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as functional fillers to enhance electrical insulation and UV-shielding properties. Nevertheless, the addition of substantial quantities of silicate scales in the quest for enhanced functional properties results in reduced interface bonding capability and compromised mechanical properties, thereby restricting their application. Here, inspired from nacre, layered composite paper with excellent mechanical strength, electrical insulation and UV-resistance properties was fabricated through vacuum assisted self-assembly using CNF, PVA and basalt scales (BS). Unlike the conventional blending strategy, the pre-mixed PVA and BS suspension facilitates the formation of Al-O-C bond, thereby enhancing the interfacial bonding between BS and CNF. Consequently, the composite paper (BS@PVA/PVA/CNF) containing 60 wt% BS demonstrates higher mechanical strength—approximately 140 % higher than that of BS/CNF composite paper, achieving a strength of 33.5 MPa. Additionally, it demonstrates enhanced dielectric properties, surpassing those of CNF paper by up to 107 %. Moreover, it exhibits robust ultraviolet-resistant aging performance, retaining ~87 % of its tensile strength after undergoing a simulated two-year aging period. As a result, this work presents a simple and innovative design strategy for enhancing interfacial bonding and optimizing layer structure, providing essential guidelines for large-scale production of high-performance insulation and aging-resistant composite paper.

The Enhancement of the Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Resin Reinforced by Bromo-Oxybismuth.

With the gradual miniaturization of electronic devices, the thermal conductivity of electronic components is increasingly required. Epoxy (EP) resins are easy to process, exhibit excellent electrical insulation properties, and are light in weight and low in cost, making them the preferred material for thermal management applications. In order to endow EPs with better dielectric and thermal conductivity properties, bromo-oxygen-bismuth (BiOBr) prepared using the hydrothermal method was used as a filler to obtain BiOBr/EP composites, and the effect of BiOBr addition on the properties of the BiOBr/EP composites was also studied. The results showed that the addition of a small amount of BiOBr could greatly optimize the dielectric properties and thermal conductivity of EP resin, and when the content of BiOBr was 0.75 wt% and 1.00 wt%, the dielectric properties and thermal conductivity of the composite could reach the optimum, respectively. The high dielectric constant and excellent thermal conductivity of BiOBr/EP composites are mainly due to the good layered structure of BiOBr, which can provide good interfacial polarization and thermal conductivity.