Novel Thermal Management Materials Technologies for High Power Naval Systems

The objective will be to develop and evaluate electrically insulating materials for improved passive thermal management of high-power electronics. The proposed materials will improve both performance and efficiency, prolong lifetime, and reduce lifecycle costs with enhanced thermal conductivity while remaining electrically insulating. During the Phase I program, UDC will formulate thermally conductive formulations and compare these with currently used commercial materials for electronic packaging characteristic, application method, cure temperature and time. The developed formulations will be tested for thermal conductance, electrical insulation, resistance to vibration/abrasion, conformance to irregular gaps, and manufacturing cost. Additional tests will include coefficient of thermal expansion, rheological behavior and fabrication/operational temperatures (+120C to 200C), and elevated humidity conditions in accordance with military specifications and ASTM standards. A report with results and conclusions will be submitted at the end of the program