IMPROVED AIN FILLERS FOR POLYMERIC MATRICES

POLYMERIC MATERIALS ARE USED EXTENSIVELY IN A MULTITUDE OF APPLICATIONS DUE TO A UNIQUE BALANCE OF COST AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES. HOWEVER, WHERE THERMAL APPLICATIONS ARE CONCERNED, THE UTILIZATION OF POLYMERIC MATERIALS IS EXTREMELY LIMITED DUE TO POOR THERMAL TRANSFER. STRUCTURAL POLYMERS TYPICALLY EXHIBIT THERMAL CONDUCTIVITIES ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE LOWER THAN MOST METALS AND CERAMICS. PARTICULATE FILLERS HAVE BEEN UTILIZED WITH ONLY MARGINAL IMPROVEMENTS DUE THE ISOLATED ARRANGEMENT OF THE FILLER PARTICLES. RESEARCHERS HAVE IDENTIFIED TECHNOLOGIES WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE, HIGHLY SHAPED PARTICLES NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. THIS METHOD INCLUDES A CONTROLLED DIRECT NITRIDATION OF ALUMINUM TO PRODUCE SHAPED PARTICLES OF ALUMINUM NITRIDE. COMPOSITE THEORY PREDICTS SHAPED PARTICLES OF THIS TYPE WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A POLYMERIC MATRIX. INVESTIGATORS ARE CREATING RESEARCH QUANTITIES OF SHAPED AIN PARTICLES, AND TESTING THE RELATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A POLYMERIC MATRIX. THIS INFORMATION IS BEING INCORPORATED INTO THE EXISTING MODELS OF FILLED MATRICES WHICH WILL BE MODIFIED TO INCLUDE PARTICLE SHAPE.