Improvement of Insulating and Thermal Properties of SiO2-Coated Copper Nanowire Composites

Copper nanowire/epoxy terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (ETDS) composites were prepared and used as thermal interface materials (TIMs). The surfaces of copper nanowire were coated with SiO 2 to enhance their thermal and mechanical properties in the ETDS matrix. The thermal conductivity of CuNW/ETDS composites continuously increased with an increasing loading of CuNW filler. Moreover, at fixed particle loadings, an increased thermal conductivity was observed in surface-modified composites (CuNW@SiO 2 /ETDS). The effects of SiO 2 -coated copper nanowire were investigated using thermal conductivity prediction models. The storage modulus graphs illustrated the enhancement achieved by surface treatment of CuNW. In addition, the SiO 2 -coated copper nanowire composites showed decreased electrical conductivity as compared to the raw copper nanowire composites. Thus, these SiO 2 -coated copper nanowire/ETDS composites may be used as thermal interface materials in the electronics industry.