Vertically Oriented Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites\nfor Thermal Management

Polymer\nthermally conductive composites have emerged as ideal materials\nto address the issue of heat accumulation in various electrical devices.\nHowever, the practical application of thermally conductive composites\noften requires low filler content with multifunctional properties\nto meet the rapid development of electronic technology. Herein, highly\noriented carbon nanotubes (O-CNTs) were grown in situ on vertically\naligned melem skeletons by ice templating and high-temperature catalytic\nmethods. The ordered CNTs were constructed by a cross-linking network\nin the matrix of epoxy (EP) for efficient heat transport pathways.\nThe oriented O-CNTs/EP composite exhibits outstanding out-of-plane\nand in-plane thermal conductivities as 2.36 and 1.20 W/(m·K)\nwith a CNT content of 4 wt %, respectively. The O-CNTs/EP composite\nalso shows an excellent electromagnetic shielding effect of over 30\ndB in the range of 8–40 GHz. This work provides a promising\nstrategy for the construction of high-performance composites with\nadvanced heat dissipation in thermal management materials.