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Title: Brazed Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Decoupling Thermal Conductance and Mechanical Rigidity

Abstract

Bonding two solids at their interface is the most effective way to achieve a mechanically robust and thermally conducting interface. However, for high‐temperature applications, bonded interfaces between dissimilar materials experience high thermomechanical stress that degrades their performance in terms of cyclic stability (under thermal load) and lifetime. The present study shows that integrating a carbon nanotube (CNT) array as a stress‐relief element to a traditional braze joint mitigates the adverse effects of thermomechanical stress while preserving mechanical robustness and excellent heat transfer characteristic at the interface. A substantial reduction in total thermal interface resistance is achieved (from 41 mm 2 K W −1 for bare CNT array to less than 3 mm 2 K W −1 for a CNT array integrated with braze alloy). A brazed metal/insulator interface (between Cu and quartz) with a CNT array between them exhibits low thermal interface resistance even after extreme thermal cycling whereas the same interface delaminates readily when brazed without a CNT array. The reported technique provides a promising route for substantially improving the problematic high‐temperature interface, a major hindrance in achieving stable and efficient operation for systems such as thermoelectric generators that operate at elevated temperatures (above 400 °C).

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. School of Mechanical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA, Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
  2. Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
  3. School of Mechanical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA, Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy Central South University Changsha 410083 China
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1400814
Resource Type:
Publisher's Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Advanced Materials Interfaces
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Advanced Materials Interfaces Journal Volume: 4 Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2196-7350
Publisher:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Country of Publication:
Germany
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Hao, Menglong, Kumar, Anurag, Hodson, Stephen L., Zemlyanov, Dmitry, He, Pingge, and Fisher, Timothy S. Brazed Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Decoupling Thermal Conductance and Mechanical Rigidity. Germany: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1002/admi.201601042.
Hao, Menglong, Kumar, Anurag, Hodson, Stephen L., Zemlyanov, Dmitry, He, Pingge, & Fisher, Timothy S. Brazed Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Decoupling Thermal Conductance and Mechanical Rigidity. Germany. https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201601042
Hao, Menglong, Kumar, Anurag, Hodson, Stephen L., Zemlyanov, Dmitry, He, Pingge, and Fisher, Timothy S. Fri . "Brazed Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Decoupling Thermal Conductance and Mechanical Rigidity". Germany. https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201601042.
@article{osti_1400814,
title = {Brazed Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Decoupling Thermal Conductance and Mechanical Rigidity},
author = {Hao, Menglong and Kumar, Anurag and Hodson, Stephen L. and Zemlyanov, Dmitry and He, Pingge and Fisher, Timothy S.},
abstractNote = {Bonding two solids at their interface is the most effective way to achieve a mechanically robust and thermally conducting interface. However, for high‐temperature applications, bonded interfaces between dissimilar materials experience high thermomechanical stress that degrades their performance in terms of cyclic stability (under thermal load) and lifetime. The present study shows that integrating a carbon nanotube (CNT) array as a stress‐relief element to a traditional braze joint mitigates the adverse effects of thermomechanical stress while preserving mechanical robustness and excellent heat transfer characteristic at the interface. A substantial reduction in total thermal interface resistance is achieved (from 41 mm 2 K W −1 for bare CNT array to less than 3 mm 2 K W −1 for a CNT array integrated with braze alloy). A brazed metal/insulator interface (between Cu and quartz) with a CNT array between them exhibits low thermal interface resistance even after extreme thermal cycling whereas the same interface delaminates readily when brazed without a CNT array. The reported technique provides a promising route for substantially improving the problematic high‐temperature interface, a major hindrance in achieving stable and efficient operation for systems such as thermoelectric generators that operate at elevated temperatures (above 400 °C).},
doi = {10.1002/admi.201601042},
journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces},
number = 5,
volume = 4,
place = {Germany},
year = {Fri Jan 27 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Fri Jan 27 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201601042

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 9 works
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