Advances in polymers and composite dielectrics for thermal transport and high-temperature applications

Thermal transport performance of polymers and polymer composites has been widely studied as electrical insulating encapsulations for the many applications in microelectronics, power electronic devices, and high voltage power equipment. In fact, high-temperature stability for insulating materials is also an essential parameter for some certain fields such as high-power insulated gate bipolar translator (IGBT) etc.. This paper reviews the mechanism, influencing factors and major methods to enhance thermal conductivity of polymers and polymer composites based on two different polymer types (including thermoplastics and thermosetting), due to their different application scenarios and heat-resistant temperature. At the same time, the advantages of these methods, as well as the existing problems and limitations for practical application are comprehensively summarized. In addition, major challenges and opportunities for further developments are also discussed.