Thermal Properties of Copper Particles-filled Polypropylene Composites

Current trends of decreasing the size of electronic devices accompanied by raising their energy density imply the search for alternative thermal management materials. Reinforcing polymers with thermally conductive metallic materials is considered as one of the feasible solutions to overcome the thermal management issues for modern electronic devices. In this work, we report the thermal properties of composite materials made of polypropylene (PP) with copper (Cu) particles in different weight percentages; 0, 3, 6 and 10%. The effective thermal conductivity of the Cu/PP composites is measured by the Armfield Linear Heat Conduction experimental setup. Results show that the effective thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix increases slightly with the addition of Cu particles. This effect can be attributed to the higher thermal conductivity of the metal particles compared to the polymer as well as the effective reinforcement in the polymer matrix. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques were utilized to characterize the Cu/PP composites. The addition of 10 weight% of Cu particles improves the temperature stability of the composites by approximately 12%. However, the melting point and the crystallization temperatures remain almost unchanged, with values of approximately 161°C and 114°C, respectively. These preliminary experiments are intended to deliberate on the influences of metal particles in polymers to enhance their thermal properties without affecting their durability and mechanical properties. Such composites will be essential components in electronic packaging to spread thermal energy efficiently.