Design of high-performance phase change composites using erythritol-modified epoxy/docosane and cellulose-grafted spherical aluminum nitride

The increasing demand for efficient thermal regulation in high-power electronic devices necessitates the development of advanced thermal interface materials. In this work, a novel composite was fabricated to address this challenge. The foundational material, an epoxy–erythritol (EPET) matrix, was synthesized by chemically grafting a phase-change material (PCM) onto an epoxy base, resulting in a single endothermic transition within the range of 110–124 °C. To broaden the thermal response, docosane was introduced, producing an EPET/docosane hybrid system that exhibited multiple endothermic transitions in the ranges of 40–60 °C and 110–124 °C. To enhance heat transfer performance, spherical aluminum nitride (AlN) was incorporated as a thermally conductive filler. The AlN particles were surface-modified with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) to improve interfacial adhesion with the polymer matrix and promote efficient thermal transport. The optimized composite, EPET/Docosane/AlN-CNF, achieved a thermal conductivity of 6.31 W/m·K and a total latent heat of 130.7 J/g. When applied to a CPU, the composite demonstrated superior heat-buffering capability, attributed to its dual endothermic transitions and high latent heat. These findings validate the potential of the developed composite as a high-performance thermal interface material for next-generation electronic devices. • The erythritol grafted epoxy (EPET) reinforced mechanical properties of erythritol. • The integrating docosane form double endothermic regions in EPET. • The CNF treatment on AlN surface enhanced properties of composites. • The EPET/Docosane/AlN-CNF composite showed efficient heat management performance.