Towards thermoconductive, electrically insulating polymeric composites with boron nitride nanotubes as fillers

Ultilizing boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) as fillers, composites are fabricated with poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, poly(vinyl butyral), or poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) as the matrix and their thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties are evaluated. More than 20-fold thermal conductivity improvement in BNNT-containing polymers is obtained, and such composites maintain good electrical insulation. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the BNNT-loaded polymers is dramatically reduced because of interactions between the polymer chains and the nanotubes. Moreover, the composites possess good mechanical properties, as revealed by Vickers microhardness tests. This detailed study indicates that BNNTs are very promising nanofillers for polymeric composites, allowing the simultaneous achievement of high thermal conductivity, low CTE, and high electrical resistance, as required for novel and efficient heat-releasing materials. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.