Improved thermal conductivity and dielectric properties of hBN/PTFE composites via surface treatment by silane coupling agent

To achieve polymer-based composites for electronic packaging with low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss tangent and high thermal conductivity, silane coupling agent KH550 modified hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) platelets were introduced into PTFE matrix via a cold pressing and sintering method. The effect of surface treatment on the morphology, thermal conductivity and dielectric properties of the composites was investigated. The results revealed that after surface treatment, the interfacial adhension between hBN platelets and FIFE matrix was improved and the in-plane orientation degree of hBN platelets in PTFE matrix decreased, which effectively improvd the thermal conductivity of the composites. The thermal conductivity of hBN-KH550/PTFE composite with 30 vol% filler content is 0.722 W/mK, which is 2.7 folds of pure PTFE. Moreover, the enhanced interfacial adhension and reduced surface hydrophilicity of hBN platelets significantly decreased the interfacial polarization, resulting in not only lower dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent but also weaker frequency-dependence. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.