Smaller and more powerful smart electronic devices can produce a lot of heat, which can slow down processing times and cause abrupt shutdowns. A new nanocomposite film has been made using an electrospinning technique, as reported in ACS Applied Nano Materials. In tests, the film disseminated heat multiple times more proficiently than comparable materials, demonstrating the way that it might one day be utilized to keep gadgets cool.
Electronics that are smaller and smarter have changed many aspects of life, from communication to medicine. However, because of their smaller sizes, these devices concentrate heat in smaller areas, which can result in sluggish computing speeds or even force devices to shut down completely at random to prevent damage.
Researchers are turning to nanocomposite materials with a flexible polymer and a thermally conductive filler as a means of dissipating this heat. A basic method for making nanocomposites is by electrospinning, in which an answer of polymer and filler is streamed out of a needle through an electrically charged spout, framing strands that develop into a slight film. Despite its simplicity, uniaxial electrospinning, also known as electrospinning from a single solution, makes it challenging to control the properties of the material. As a result, Jinhong Yu, Sharorong Lu, and colleagues improved heat dissipation and better controlled the fiber design of a new nanocomposite by employing a two-solution method known as coaxial electrospinning.
To create the new nanocomposite, the researchers used polyvinyl alcohol, their chosen polymer, in one solution and a nanodiamond material, the thermally conductive filler, in another. The researchers produced fibers with a polyvinyl alcohol core and nanodiamond coating rather than a random distribution of the two components by fitting a syringe of each solution onto a nozzle that combined the two.
According to the team, the coated fibers serve as a “highway” for moving heat, like traffic, along and across the film’s fibers. In tests, the new materials were four times more thermally conductive than previously reported nanocomposites and dissipated heat more effectively than those made with the conventional nozzle. The researchers say that these films might one day be used to keep tiny electronics cool and working hard.
More information: Zhouqiao Wei et al, Enhanced Thermal Conductivity of Nanodiamond Nanosheets/Polymer Nanofiber Composite Films by Uniaxial and Coaxial Electrospinning: Implications for Thermal Management of Nanodevices, ACS Applied Nano Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.3c00591
