The demand for wearable electronics has resulted in an increasing interest in the development of functional fibers, with a specific focus upon the development of electrically conductive fibers incorporable into garments. However, the production of thermally conductive fibers for heat dissipation has been largely neglected. Owing to the very rapid development of miniaturized wearable electronics, there is an increasing need for the development of thermally conductive fibers as heat sinks and thermal management processes. In this study, thermally conductive but electrically insulating boron nitride nanopowder (BNNP) fillers are used to effectively enhance the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of elastomeric polyurethane fibers. Thermal conductivity enhancement of more than 160% is achieved at very low loadings of BNNP (less than 5 wt%) with an improvement in the mechanical properties of the unmodified fiber. These thermally conductive fibers are also incorporated into 3D textile structures as a proof of processability.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	boron nitride, composite fibers, fiber spinning, thermal conductivity, thermally conductive fibers
Research Division:	Chemical Sciences
Research Group:	Macromolecular and materials chemistry
Research Field:	Macromolecular and materials chemistry not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
UTAS Author:	Paull, B (Professor Brett Paull)
ID Code:	134572
Year Published:	2019
Web of Science® Times Cited:	10
Deposited By:	Austn Centre for Research in Separation Science
Deposited On:	2019-08-20
Last Modified:	2019-12-05
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