Thermal conductivity of pillared graphene-epoxy nanocomposites using molecular dynamics

A Lakshmanan and S Srivastava and A Ramazani and V Sundararaghavan, APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 112, 151902 (2018).

DOI: 10.1063/1.5022755

Thermal conductivity in a pillared graphene-epoxy nanocomposite (PGEN) is studied using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. PGEN is a proposed material for advanced thermal management applications because it combines high in-plane conductivity of graphene with high axial conductivity of a nanotube to significantly enhance the overall conductivity of the epoxy matrix material. Anisotropic conductivity of PGEN has been compared with that of pristine and functionalized carbon nanotube-epoxy nanocomposites, showcasing the advantages of the unique hierarchical structure of PGEN. Compared to pure carbon allotropes, embedding the epoxy matrix also promotes a weaker dependence of conductivity on thermal variations. These features make this an attractive material for thermal management applications. Published by AIP Publishing.

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