Sustainably sourced epoxy thermal management composites with simultaneously improved thermal conductivity, dielectric properties and fire safety

The integration and light-weighting of electronic devices pose significant challenges associated with heat accumulation, which has a detrimental effect on the functionality and longevity of these devices. Novel materials with superior thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and fire safety demonstrate considerable potential for use in electronic applications. Nevertheless, attaining these characteristics in a single material remains a formidable challenge. To address these challenges, a green, toughened phosphorylated cardanol-based epoxy monomer (ECF) with intrinsic fire safety was synthesized in this study, and a series of formulated ECF/DGEBA systems were prepared. The optimal ratio of 50% ECF/DGEBA is determined through a screening process based on criteria such as thermal conductivity (TC) and dielectric properties. The TA@hBNO/EP composites are subsequently prepared by incorporating various quantities of tannic acid (TA)-modified hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) into the system at various ratios. The 30 wt% TA@hBNO/EP sample demonstrates the most promising dielectric and thermal conductivity, with TC ⊥ being 590% higher and TC ∥ 1016% higher than those of DGEBA. Moreover, it has the lowest dielectric constant (3.05) and loss (0.021) at 15 MHz. Furthermore, the material exhibited excellent fire safety properties, with the PHRR, THR and TSP of TA@hBNO/EP reduced by 65.4%, 60.0% and 28.3%, respectively, in comparison to those of the 50% ECF/DGEBA. This study presents a novel approach for enhancing the fire safety and sustained electrical insulation properties of epoxy thermal management materials.