Cu Nanosheet Surface Bridging of Hierarchical MgO Fillers for High-Thermal-Conductivity Epoxy Composites

Sunhyun Nam; Artavazd Kirakosyan; Jihoon Choi

doi:10.3740/MRSK.2026.36.9.299

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2026 Vol.36, Issue 9 Next Page

Research Paper

Cu Nanosheet Surface Bridging of Hierarchical MgO Fillers for High-Thermal-Conductivity Epoxy Composites

27 September 2026. pp. 299-308

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Abstract

Efficient thermal management requires polymer composites with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation. However, conventional highly filled composites often suffer from inefficient filler packing, limited particle–particle contact, and high interfacial thermal resistance, which restrict heat transport. This study proposes a hierarchical filler-network strategy that combines interstitial-site engineering and Cu nanosheet-mediated interfacial bridging to improve heat transport in highly filled MgO/epoxy composites. Smaller MgO particles effectively occupied the interstitial regions between primary MgO fillers. Cu nanosheets, selectively deposited on the MgO surface through an ultrasonication-assisted process, formed localized thermal bridges between neighboring fillers. Structural analyses confirmed denser filler packing and uniform Cu surface decoration. The thermal conductivity increased by approximately 33% from 3.6 to 4.8 W/m･K at 90 wt%. The improved thermal performance is attributed to the combined effects of reduced polymer-rich interstitial regions, enlarged particle–particle contact areas, and lower interfacial thermal resistance. The proposed strategy provides an effective approach for designing high-performance thermally conductive polymer composites for advanced thermal management applications.

Keywords

thermally conductive composites

magnesium oxide

Cu nanosheets

interfacial thermal resistance

hierarchical filler network

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Information

Publisher :Materials Research Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국재료학회
Journal Title :Korean Journal of Materials Research
Journal Title(Ko) :한국재료학회지
Volume : 36
No :9
Pages :299-308
Received Date : 2026-08-13
Revised Date : 2026-08-25
Accepted Date : 2026-08-25
DOI :https://doi.org/10.3740/MRSK.2026.36.9.299

Korean Journal of Materials Research ISSN:1225-0562(Print) 2287-7258(Online) 한국재료학회지

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