Nanoscale Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in a Metal Matrix to Boost Thermal and Electrical Conductivity via Facile Ball Milling Techniques

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/metal composites have attracted much attention due to their enhanced electrical and thermal performance. How to achieve the scalable fabrication of composites with efficient dispersion of CNTs to boost their performance remains a challenge for their wide realistic applications....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bin Li, Lihua Zhou, Bo Wang, Maoshu Yin, Yong Qian, Xianglei Shi, Zhejun Guo, Zhao Han, Nantao Hu, Lijie Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/20/2815
Description
Summary:Carbon nanotube (CNT)/metal composites have attracted much attention due to their enhanced electrical and thermal performance. How to achieve the scalable fabrication of composites with efficient dispersion of CNTs to boost their performance remains a challenge for their wide realistic applications. Herein, the nanoscale dispersion of CNTs in the Stannum (Sn) matrix to boost thermal and electrical conductivity via facile ball milling techniques was demonstrated. The results revealed that CNTs were tightly attached to metal Sn, resulting in a much lower resistivity than that of bare Sn. The resistivity of Sn with 1 wt.% and 2 wt.% CNTs was 0.087 mΩ·cm and 0.056 mΩ·cm, respectively. The theoretical calculation showed that there was an electronic state near the Fermi level, suggesting its electrical conductivity had been improved to a certain extent. In addition, the thermal conductivity of Sn with 2 wt.% CNTs was 1.255 W·m<sup>−1</sup>·K<sup>−1</sup>. Moreover, Young’s modulus of the composites with CNTs mass fraction of 10 wt.% had low values (0.933 MPa) under low strain conditions, indicating the composite shows good potential for various applications with different flexible requirements. The good electrical and thermal conductive CNT networks were formed in the metal matrix via facile ball milling techniques. This strategy can provide guidance for designing high-performance metal samples and holds a broad application potential in electronic packaging and other fields.
ISSN:2079-4991