Transport and mechanical properties of vapour grown carbon nanofibre/silicone composites

Vapour grown carbon nanofibre (VGCNF)/silicone composites were produced at loadings of up to 12 and 15 wt.% by conventional mechanical stirring and 3-roll mill, respectively. The thermal conductivities of the composites produced by roll mill are 10–20% higher than the corresponding ones produced by mechanical stirring due to the presence of well dispersed and uniformly distributed fibres in the former, as observed by SEM analysis. The thermal conductivity of 12 wt.% VGCNF/silicone composite produced by roll mill is 0.7335 W/m K, compared to 0.1795 W/m K for neat silicone. An electrical conductivity of 1.47 S m−1 was attained at 15 wt.% loading of VGCNF in silicone. Compression testing results showed that VGCNF are effective fillers for increasing silicone compressive strength and strain to failure.