Boron Nitride Particle Filled Paraffin Wax as a Phase-Change Thermal Interface Material

Abstract

Wax (predominantly tricosane paraffin wax, with a melting temperature of 48°C) filled with hexagonal boron nitride (BN) particles (5–11μm) was found to be an effective phase-change thermal interface material. The thermal contact conductance, as measured with the interface material between copper surfaces, decreased with increasing temperature from 22to48°C, but increased with increasing temperature from 48to55°C. The melting of the wax enhanced the conductance, due to increased conformability to the mating surfaces. For a given BN volume fraction and a given temperature, the thermal contact conductance increased with increasing contact pressure. However, a pressure above 0.30MPa resulted in no significant increase in the conductance. The conductance increased with BN content up to 6.2vol.%, but decreased upon further increase to 8.6vol.%. The highest conductance above the melting temperature was 18×104W∕m2.°C, as attained for a BN content of 4.0vol.% at 55°C and 0.30MPa. Below the melting temperature, the highest conductance was 19×104W∕m2.°C, as attained for a BN content of 6.2vol.% at 22°C and 0.30MPa.