Efficient foam-based thermal interface material functionalized with MWCNTs for CPU cooling applications: thermal performance modeling and Experimental studies

Efficient thermal dissipation remains one of the foremost challenges in modern electronics, as excessive heat can critically damage device performance and reliability. In this work, we introduce a novel thermal interface material (TIM) based on polyvinyl-formaldehyde (PVF) foam functionalized with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for advanced processor cooling. The developed composite exhibits high thermal conductivity, remarkable stability up to 200 °C, and minimal weight loss across a wide temperature range. A TIM with a [Formula: see text] cm² cross-section was engineered to interface directly with a CPU chip. The heat dissipation from the CPU was systematically investigated as a function of composition and design parameters to identify the optimal cooling configuration. Thermal characterization and CPU package modeling confirmed the superior heat dissipation capacity of the TIM. Among the tested configurations, the PVF/MWCNT composite with 4 wt% loading, fabricated in a square geometry and 2 mm thickness, demonstrated the most effective performance, achieving a minimum CPU temperature of 66.72°C under an 80 W heat load. The square-shaped TIM outperformed its circular counterpart due to better conformity with the CPU surface, maximizing contact area and minimizing thermal resistance. Experimental validation closely matched the simulation results, confirming the reliability of the adopted model. These results establish PVF/MWCNT composites as a lightweight, thermally stable, and highly efficient TIM, offering strong potential for next-generation electronic devices operating at elevated temperatures.