Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Expansion Properties of AIN/EP Composite

AIN/epoxy (AIN/EP) composites were fabricated by casting method. The effects of the AIN content on microstructure, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion properties of composites were investigated. The results indicate that with the AIN content increasing, the thermal conductivity increase, while the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) decreases. When the volume fraction of AIN is 25%, the thermal conductivity is 0.507 W/m.K, which is about 2.5 times higher than that of the epoxy matrix, while the coefficient of thermal expansion is 53.7 ppm/degrees C. The thermal conductivity results obtained were also analyzed using the Maxwell-Eucken model to explain the effect of AIN fillers on the formation of thermal conductive networks.