Bio-Based, Recyclable, and Form-Stable Thermally Conductive Phase Change Composite Featuring Thermally Induced Flexibility

In this work, a sort of recyclable and form-stable phase change materials (FSPCMs) is synthesized based on 0 covalent adaptable network derived from epoxidized soybean oil and functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG). The thermal conductivity is improved by incorporating boron nitride (BN). The PEG segments in the matrix enable the composites to exhibit phase enthalpy and shape memory properties. As indicated, the melting enthalpy of FSPCMs can reach 63.56 J g–1. When the mass fraction of BN is 40%, the thermal conductivity is 2.23 W m–1 K–1. Experimental results exhibit that the prepared composite has excellent thermally induced flexibility, resulting in its surface adapting to different rough surfaces, which is quite vital to reduce interface thermal resistance. The potential use of such composite as a thermal interface material (TIM) is shown in the heat dissipation of LED chips. The covalent adaptable network enables the organic and inorganic components of the composites to be completely separated under mild conditions, thus achieving closed-loop recycling. This work provides an innovative approach to fabricate bio-based and recyclable TIMs demonstrating the potential of the materials in electronic thermal management applications.