RTA-Treated
Carbon Fiber/Copper Core/Shell Hybrid for Thermally Conductive Composites
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Abstract
In this paper, we demonstrate a facile
route to produce epoxy/carbon fiber composites providing continuous
heat conduction pathway of Cu with a high degree of crystal perfection
via electroplating, followed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment
and compression molding. Copper shells on carbon fibers were coated
through electroplating method and post-treated via RTA technique to
reduce the degree of imperfection in the Cu crystal. The epoxy/Cu-plated
carbon fiber composites with Cu shell of 12.0 vol % prepared via simple
compression molding, revealed 18 times larger thermal conductivity
(47.2 W m<sup>–1</sup> K<sup>–1</sup>) in parallel direction
and 6 times larger thermal conductivity (3.9 W m<sup>–1</sup> K<sup>–1</sup>) in perpendicular direction than epoxy/carbon
fiber composite. Our novel composites with RTA-treated carbon fiber/Cu
core/shell hybrid showed heat conduction behavior of an excellent
polymeric composite thermal conductor with continuous heat conduction
pathway, comparable to theoretical values obtained from Hatta and
Taya model