Graphene nanoplatelets for thermally conductive polymer nanocomposites

Thermally conductive polymer composites offer new possibilities for replacing metal parts in low temperature heat exchangers, thanks to the polymer advantages such as light weight, corrosion resistance and ease of processing. The search for polymer based materials that conduct heat well has become essential for several applications. Current interest to improve the thermal conductivity of polymers is focused on the selective addition of nanofillers with high thermal conductivity, like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). However, to exploit the potential of such nanoparticles, both the dispersion of nanoparticles and the properties of thermal interfaces between nanoparticles (the two main limitations) has to be carefully designed and controlled.