Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays are promising candidates for advanced thermal interface materials (TIMs) since they possess high mechanical compliance and high intrinsic thermal conductivity. However, the overall thermal performance of CNT arrays often falls short of expectations when used as TIMs, and the underlying reasons have yet to be fully understood. In this work, the volume fraction of CNT arrays is demonstrated to be the key factor in determining the CNT array thermal transport properties. By increasing the array volume fraction, both the CNT array effective thermal conductivity and the CNT array–glass thermal contact conductance were experimentally found to increase monotonically. One interesting phenomenon is that the increasing rate of thermal conductivity is larger than that of array volume fraction. Compressive experiments verified that the CNT arrays with lower volume fractions suffer from severe buckling, which results in a further decreasing trend. By understanding the underlying reasons behind this trend, the overall thermal performance of vertically aligned CNT arrays can be further increased.
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September 2016
This article was originally published in
Journal of Heat Transfer
Research-Article
Array Volume Fraction-Dependent Thermal Transport Properties of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays
Yang Zhao,
Yang Zhao
Department of Precision Machinery
and Precision Instrumentation,
University of Science and Technology of China,
Hefei, Anhui 230026, China;
and Precision Instrumentation,
University of Science and Technology of China,
Hefei, Anhui 230026, China;
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
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Rong-Shiuan Chu,
Rong-Shiuan Chu
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Search for other works by this author on:
Costas P. Grigoropoulos,
Costas P. Grigoropoulos
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Search for other works by this author on:
Oscar D. Dubon,
Oscar D. Dubon
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Department of Materials Science
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Materials Sciences Division,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Search for other works by this author on:
Arun Majumdar
Arun Majumdar
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Department of Materials Science
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Materials Sciences Division,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Search for other works by this author on:
Yang Zhao
Department of Precision Machinery
and Precision Instrumentation,
University of Science and Technology of China,
Hefei, Anhui 230026, China;
and Precision Instrumentation,
University of Science and Technology of China,
Hefei, Anhui 230026, China;
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Rong-Shiuan Chu
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Costas P. Grigoropoulos
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Oscar D. Dubon
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Department of Materials Science
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Materials Sciences Division,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Arun Majumdar
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Applied Science and Technology
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Graduate Group,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Department of Materials Science
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
and Engineering,
University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720;
Materials Sciences Division,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley, CA 94720
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER. Manuscript received October 10, 2015; final manuscript received April 25, 2016; published online May 17, 2016. Editor: Portonovo S. Ayyaswamy.
J. Heat Transfer. Sep 2016, 138(9): 092401 (7 pages)
Published Online: May 17, 2016
Article history
Received:
October 10, 2015
Revised:
April 25, 2016
Citation
Zhao, Y., Chu, R., Grigoropoulos, C. P., Dubon, O. D., and Majumdar, A. (May 17, 2016). "Array Volume Fraction-Dependent Thermal Transport Properties of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. September 2016; 138(9): 092401. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4033538
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