Design of thermal hybrid composites based on liquid crystal polymer and hexagonal boron nitride fiber network in polylactide matrix.

ABSTRACT Development of high thermally conductive and electrically insulative composites is of interest for electronic packaging industry. Advancements in smaller and more compact electronic devices required improvements in packing materials, including their weight, thermal conductivity, and electrical resistivity. In addition, with the increasing environmental awareness, the usage of green (bio-based) alternatives was equally important. In the present study a hybrid based on fibers of highly concentrated hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) in liquid crystal polymer (LCP) matrix were fabricated. These hybrids were formed by arranging hBN platelets into LCP fiber form to reach high filler concentration and then randomly mix it in polylactide (PLA) matrix. With appropriate filler interaction within the hybrid, thermal conductivity similar to that of pure fiber could be achieved. Filler interaction may be tailored by optimizing the fibers aspect ratio. This study demonstrated the effect of random fillers in fibers shape in increasing the overall thermal conductivity of PLA polymeric hybrid using hBN and LCP fibers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 457-464 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]