Fabrication of Carbon Fiber/Silicon Carbide Hybride Polypropylene Composites as Thermal Interface Material

A wide variety of thermal interface materials (TIMs) used in the electronics semiconductor industry, but heat dissipation is still a problem. Meeting this challenge requires the development of new polymer-based composite materials with improved thermal conductivity. In this study, carbon fiber (CF)/Silicon carbide (SiC) hybrid filler-loaded polypropylene (PP) matrix composites were produced. Thermal properties of composites were investigated by the simultaneous differential thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimeter and thermal conductive measurement system. The mechanical properties of composites were measured by dynamic mechanic analysis and universal mechanical analysis test systems. The molecular structure changes and crystallinity of composites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The composites microstructure was identified by scanning electron microscopy technique. The electrical conductivity of the composites investigated with the electrical conductivity measurement technique. The addition of CF into the SiC particles improved thermal degradation and mechanical properties of composites according to only SiC loaded PP matrix. The mixture of 3% CF and 47% SiC particle by weight into the PP matrix improved the thermal conductivity of composites almost 40% than the 50% SiC loaded PP. The viscoelastic properties and the durability of the composites increased with the CF addition.