Thermal percolation behavior of graphene nanoplatelets/polyphenylene sulfide thermal conductivity composites

The volume fraction of functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) influencing on the thermal conductivities of GNPs/polyphenylene sulfide (GNPs/PPS) composites are investigated. Results reveal that a great improvement of the thermal conductivities with the addition of functionalized GNPs, and the thermal conductivity of the GNPs/PPS composite is 4.414 W/mK with 29.3 vol% functionalized GNPs, 19 times higher than that of the pure PPS matrix. The significantly high improvement of the thermal conductivities is ascribed to good thermal transmission through GNPs networks in the PPS matrix, following a thermal percolation behavior. Meantime, the GNPs have strong ability to generate continuous thermally conductive chains, and the formation of thermally conductive networks becomes much easier. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:1087–1092, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers