Enhanced thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy composites filled with hybrid filler system of aluminium nitride and boron nitride

The study aims to enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy composite materials. This is done based on combination of micron sized aluminium nitride (AlN) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles. A set of AlN/BN hybrid epoxy composites with filler content ranging from 35, 40, and 42 wt% was prepared by conventional casting method. The use of these hybrid fillers was found to be very effective in increasing the composite thermal conductivity due to synergetic connectivity offered by the fillers with different geometries; polyhedral AlN and hBN platelets. Maximum thermal conductivity of 0.57 W mK−1 was achieved for the formulation of AlN:BN = 2:1 at 42 wt% filler loading. Glass transition (Tg), coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and modulus of the composites were measured experimentally. The integrated properties of AlN/BN epoxy composites are expected to enhance the heat dissipating capabilities in microelectronic industry. POLYM. COMPOS., 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers