Enhanced thermal properties of epoxy composites through nanowire-bridged SiO2@ZnO core-shell fillers

초록

With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the demand for high-performance electronic devices has surged. However, device miniaturization and high integration have led to severe heat accumulation, degrading performance and reliability. In this paper, a thermally enhanced epoxy composite was developed using a dualfiller system consisting of zinc oxide-modified silica spheres (SiO2@ZnO) as core-shell fillers and zinc oxide nanowires (ZnONWs) as bridging structures. This dual-filler architecture effectively functionalizes conventional silica fillers and promotes improved heat transport within the epoxy matrix. The enhanced performance arises from the combined contributions of the silica core, the increased crystallinity and interconnectivity of the ZnO shell induced by calcination at 800 degrees C (SiO2@ZnO-800), and the ZnONW-bridging networks that establish continuous thermal pathways between adjacent fillers. The epoxy composite containing 40 vol% of SiO2@ZnO800 fillers and 0.54 vol% ZnONWs exhibited a thermal conductivity of 0.5064 W/m center dot K, representing 131 % enhancement compared to neat epoxy. In addition, the epoxy composite has favorable thermal stability and enhanced heat-spreading performance in infrared thermography tests. These results demonstrate the effectiveness in overcoming the intrinsic limitation of epoxy, offering potential as an advanced material for electronic applications.

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