Polycaprolactone/graphite nanoplates composite nanopapers

TL;DR

This paper develops a composite nanopaper combining graphite nanoplatelets with polycaprolactone to enhance heat conduction and mechanical properties, addressing brittleness issues in graphene-based materials.

Contribution

It introduces a novel PCL-GNP composite nanopaper with improved thermomechanical stability and heat conduction capabilities, advancing heat spreader applications.

Findings

Heat conduction exceeds 150 W/m·K.

Superior resistance at high temperatures.

Crystalline organization of PCL enhances properties.

Abstract

Nanopapers based on graphene and related materials were recently proposed for application in heat spreader applications. To overcome typical limitations in brittleness of such materials, this work addressed the combination of graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) with a soft, tough and crystalline polymer, acting as an efficient binder between nanoplates. With this aim, polycaprolactone (PCL) was selected and exploited in this paper. The crystalline organization of PCL within the nanopaper was studied to investigate the effect of polymer confinement between GNP. Thermomechanical properties were studied by dynamic mechanical analyses at variable temperature and creep measurements at high temperature, demonstrating superior resistance at temperatures well above PCL melting. Finally, the heat conduction properties on the nanopapers were evaluated, resulting in outstanding values above 150 Wm-1K-1.