Carbon foam/reduced graphene oxide/paraffin composite phase change material for electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal management

To address the issues of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and thermal management during operation of electronic devices, carbon foam/reduced graphene oxide/paraffin dual-functional composite phase change material (c-MG/PA) is fabricated via reductive assembly and vacuum impregnation. The carbonized melamine foam and graphene jointly construct a three-dimensional electrical conductive and thermal conductive synergistic network. EMI shielding efficiency of c-MG/PA at thickness of 2 mm is up to 49 dB dominated by the electromagnetic absorption mechanism of the double conductive carbon network, far outstripping the commercial application standard of 20 dB. The phase change enthalpy of c-MG/PA reaches at least 196.3 J·g−1, and the relative enthalpy efficiency is above 97.4 %. Because of the enhancement of three-dimensional heat transfer network, the thermal conductivity of c-MG/PA is 324 % higher than that of paraffin. By using c-MG/PA as thermal management material in analog electronic chip, the chip temperature remarkably drops by 17.1 °C. In addition, c-MG/PA also exhibits superior shape stability, cycling stability and thermal stability, ensuring the reliability and security for long-term use in electronic devices. The results reveal that c-MG/PA possesses great application potential in EMI shielding and thermal management.