Thermal response of the two-directional high-thermal-conductive carbon fiber reinforced aluminum composites with low interface damage by a vacuum hot pressure diffusion method

• A two-directional Cf/Al composite with a thermal conductivity of 305.5 W∙m −1 ∙K −1 is fabricated. • The CF MP acts as fast heat conduction channels. A two directional high thermal conductive carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite with low interface damage is prepared by a vacuum hot-pressure diffusion method using the mesophase-pitch-based carbon fiber (CF MP ) cloth as fast heat conduction channels. The fiber/matrix interface is composed of an amorphous gradient transition layer between aluminum matrix and CF MP rather than Al 4 C 3 interface phase, thus endowing the continuous heat conduction channels in the composite. The composites deliver the high thermal conductivity of 305.5 W∙m −1 ∙K −1 in the X (Y) direction and the low volume density of only 2.53 g∙cm −3 when the fiber volume fraction reaches 30 vol%. The high thermal conductivity of the composite is attributed to the highly oriented fast heat transfer effect of the CF MP , the isotropic heat transfer effect of the aluminum matrix and the low-damage CF MP /aluminum interface. This study opens a new avenue to design and select the high thermal conductivity and lightweight thermal management materials for the aerospace field.