Thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube-silver composite

The molecular level mixing method was extended to fabricate carbon nanotube reinforced silver composite. The influence of type of carbon nanotubes (single/multiwall) reinforcement and their mode of functionalization (covalent/non-covalent) on thermal conductivity of silver composite was investigated. X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDS) confirm the presence of silver and carbon in the composite powder. High resolution scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy ascertain embedded, anchored and homogeneously implanted carbon nanotubes in silver matrix. Effect of covalent functionalization on multiwall carbon nanotubes was monitored by Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These investigations confirm the addition of functional groups and structural integrity of carbon nanotubes even after covalent functionalization. Thermal conductivity of composites was measured by a laser flash technique and theoretically analyzed using an effective medium approach. The experimental results reveal that thermal conductivity decreases after incorporation of covalently functionalized multiwall nanotubes and single wall carbon nanotubes. However, non-covalently functionalized multiwall nanotube reinforcement leads to the increase in effective thermal conductivity of the composite and is in agreement with theoretical predictions derived from effective medium theory, in absence of interfacial thermal resistance.