Graphite nanosheet 3-D networks for polymer composites capable of enhanced heat transport

In this paper, we prepared 3-D network architecture of graphite nanosheets (GNS) to construct an efficient pathway for the thermal energy transfer in preparing a thermal management composite material. In achieving 3-D GNS network of excellent thermal energy transfer under practically usable condition, GNS filling into the interstitial sites among colloidal polymer particle aggregates and following removal of polymer components were conducted. The voids surrounded by 3-D network of GNS were re-filled out using butylene terephthalate-based cyclic oligomers which were ring-opening polymerized to form a PBT/GNS nanocomposite. The thermal conductivity of the PBT/GNS nanocomposite employing 3-D interconnected GNS content as low as 9 wt% has reached ca. 4.3 W /mK, that is much higher than the case of randomly distributed GNS of comparable amount. The capability of controlling lateral size and thickness of GNS as well as the 3-D macroporous interconnected graphene framework in polymer matrix should greatly assist the commercialization of high-quality graphene-based thermal management materials in a scalable production process.