Thermal Conductivity of Graphene and its Polymer Nanocomposites: A Review

Abstract

This chapter reviews the recent research progress of graphene, with an emphasis on its thermal conductivity and its polymer nanocomposites. Thermal conductivity of nanocomposites can be measured by either the steady-state methods or the transient methods. As identified by the theoretical models, the effective thermal conductivity of composites can be affected by several key factors. In the case of graphene-polymer nanocomposites, most experimental reports have suggested that the key barrier in achieving superior thermal conductivity lies in the high interfacial thermal resistance between the graphene fillers and polymer matrices. To quantitatively understand the impact of interfacial thermal resistance on the effective thermal conductivity of graphene-polymer nanocomposites, Nan's theoretical model may be employed. The chapter discusses the definition of interfacial thermal resistance and the key factors affecting it. It reviews the approaches for reducing interfacial thermal resistance between graphene and polymer.