Self-assembled three-dimensional structure with optimal ratio of GO and SiC particles effectively improving the thermal conductivity and reliability of epoxy composites

Abstract Graphene oxide (GO) has been widely used in modern electronic packaging materials because of its excellent performance. Nevertheless, inherently electrical conductivity and hygroscopicity of GO would greatly reduce the reliability of polymer composites as electronic packaging materials. In this work, different ratio GO and functionalized silicon carbide (SiC) particles formed an effective thermal conduction path through electrostatic self-assembly in epoxy resin (ER). SiC particles also played a critical role in enhancing the reliability of epoxy composites due to hydrophobicity and poor electrical properties. The obtained composites, at the optimal ratio of GO and SiC particles of 1:100, exhibited a high thermal conductivity (0.91 W/(mK)). The composites also presented that the thermal conductivity and electrical insulating were not destroyed after 40 h of wet-heat treatment. This strategy provided an insight into the design of high-performance composites with the potential to be used in advanced electronic packaging.