Evaluating Thermal Composites Using Asymptotic Homogenization

Thermal management is of paramount importance in high powered electronic devices. Although composites can provide new materials with improved thermal performance, major hurdles exist in their implementation. Here some principles from asymptotic homogenization analysis are used to demonstrate how a reinforced epoxy's properties can be tailored to design specifications, and to evaluate the feasibility of processing such a composite. Two simulations were carried out to predict the bulk thermal conductivity and CTE of a diamond filled, heat curable epoxy. Additionally, the local thermal stresses that develop during the curing process were also found. All simulations were performed using commercially available finite element software.