Improving the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites using a combustion-synthesized aggregated β-SiN filler with randomly oriented grains.

Electrically insulating and thermally conductive polymer matrix composites are desirable for industry applications as they improve the reliability of high-performance electronic devices, particularly via heat dissipation in devices loaded with several electronic components. In this study, an aggregated β-SiN filler with randomly oriented grains was produced via combustion synthesis to improve the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites. The thermal conductivities of the prepared composites were investigated as a function of the filler content, and the values were compared to those of composites loaded with commercial β-SiN (non-aggregated) Negligible difference was observed in the thermal conductivities of both types of composites when the SiN content was below 40 vol%; however, above 40 vol%, the aggregated β-SiN filler-loaded composites showed higher thermal conductivities than the commercial β-SiN-loaded composites.