THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE AND ELECTRICALLY INSULATIVE POLYMER COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING A THERMALLY INSULATIVE FILLER AND USES THEREOF

• US 20120217434A1
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SHPP Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Karlik, Dennis, Zou, David, l'Abee, Roy, Mercx, Frans, Mee, Mark van der, Guo, Mingcheng
• Granted Patent: US 8,741,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/74
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/013 Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/14 Solid materials, e.g. powdery or granular

Abstract

Disclosed herein are compositions comprising a. from 35 to 80 vol % of a thermoplastic polymer; b. from 5 to 45 vol % of a thermally insulative filler with an intrinsic thermal conductivity less than or equal to 10 W/mK; and c. from 5 to 15 vol % of a thermally conductive filler with an intrinsic thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 50 W/mK, wherein the composition is characterized by: i. a thermal conductivity of at least 1.0 W/mK; ii. a thermal conductivity of at least 7 times the total filler volume fraction times the thermal conductivity of the pure thermoplastic polymer; and iii. a volume resistivity of at least 10⁷ Ohm.cm. Also disclosed are articles and methods of use therefor.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

a. from 35 to 80 vol % of a thermoplastic polymer;

b. from 5 to 45 vol % of a thermally insulative filler with an intrinsic thermal conductivity less than or equal to 10 W/mK; and

c. from 5 to 15 vol % of a thermally conductive filler with an intrinsic thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 50 W/mK,

wherein the composition is characterized by;

i. a thermal conductivity of at least 1.0 W/mK;

ii. a thermal conductivity of at least 7 times the total filler volume fraction times the thermal conductivity of the pure thermoplastic polymer; and

iii. a volume resistivity of at least 10⁷ Ohm.cm.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises a polyamide, polyester, polyethylene and ethylene based copolymer, polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polyetheretherketone, polycarbonate, polyetherimide, or a combination thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises a polyamide, polyester, polyethylene and ethylene based copolymer, polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, or a combination thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally insulative filler comprises H₂Mg₃(SiO₃)₄, CaCO₃, Mg(OH)₂, Mica, BaO, γ

-AlO(OH), γ

-AlO(OH), Al(OH)₃, BaSO₄, CaSiO₃, ZrO₂, SiO₂, a glass bead, a glass fiber, MgO.xAl₂O₃, CaMg(CO₃)₂, a clay, or a combination thereof.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally insulative filler comprises H₂Mg₃(SiO₃)₄, CaCO₃, Mg(OH)₂, or a combination thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises AlN, BN, MgSiN₂, SiC, graphite, ceramic-coated graphite, expanded graphite, graphene, a carbon fiber, a carbon nanotube, graphitized carbon black, or a combination thereof.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises graphite, boron nitride, or a combination thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises graphite.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises

c1. from 0 to 100 vol % of an electrically conductive filler with a resistivity less than or equal to 1 Ohm.cm;

and

c2. from 0 to 100 vol % of an electrically insulative filler with a resistivity greater than or equal to 10⁵ Ohm.cm;

wherein at least one of c1 or c2 is present.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises

c1. an electrically conductive filler with a resistivity less than or equal to 1 Ohm.cm;

and

c2. an electrically insulative filler with a resistivity greater than or equal to 10⁵ Ohm.cm.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises a polyamide, polyester, polyethylene and ethylene based copolymer, polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, or a combination thereof;

the thermally insulative filler comprises H₂Mg₃(SiO₃)₄, CaCO₃, Mg(OH)₂, or a combination thereof; and

the thermally conductive filler comprises graphite.

12. An article formed from the composition of claim 1.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the article is a molded article.

14. A method of using a thermoplastic polymer composition in a high thermal conductivity application comprising contacting the thermoplastic polymer composition of claim 1 with an elevated external temperature for a sustained time, wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition is used in an application requiring the composition to have (1) a thermal conductivity of at least 1.0 W/mK, (2) a thermal conductivity of at least 7 times the total filler volume fraction times the thermal conductivity of the pure thermoplastic polymer, and (3) a volume resistivity of at least 10⁷ Ohm.cm.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymer composition is in the form of an article.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the article is a molded article.