Recyclable Technology of Thermosetting Resins for High Thermal Conductivity Materials Based on Physical Crushing

Abstract

Epoxy resin, characterized by prominent mechanical and electric-insulation properties, is the preferred material for packaging power electronic devices. Unfortunately, the efficient recycling and reuse of epoxy materials with thermally cross-linked molecular structures has become a daunting challenge. Here, we propose an economical and operable recycling strategy to regenerate waste epoxy resin into a high-performance material. Different particle size of waste epoxy micro-spheres (100–600 µm) with core-shell structure is obtained through simple mechanical crushing and boron nitride surface treatment. By using smattering epoxy monomer as an adhesive, an eco-friendly composite material with a “brick-wall structure” can be formed. The continuous boron nitride pathway with efficient thermal conductivity endows eco-friendly composite materials with a preeminent thermal conductivity of 3.71 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at a low content of 8.5 vol% h-BN, superior to pure epoxy resin (0.21 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹). The composite, after secondary recycling and reuse, still maintains a thermal conductivity of 2.12 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ and has mechanical and insulation properties comparable to the new epoxy resin (energy storage modulus of 2326.3 MPa and breakdown strength of 40.18 kV mm⁻¹). This strategy expands the sustainable application prospects of thermosetting polymers, offering extremely high economic and environmental value.

Keywords

brick-wall structure / epoxy thermosetting / physical recycling / thermal management

References

[1] G. W. Coates, Y. D. Y. L. Getzler, Nat. Rev. Mater. 2020, 5, 501.

[2] M. Chanda, Adv. Ind. Eng. Polym. Res. 2021, 4, 133.

[3] I. A. Ignatyev, W. Thielemans, B. Vander Beke, ChemSusChem 2014, 7, 1579.

[4] A. Verma, L. Budiyal, M. R. Sanjay, S. Siengchin, Polym. Eng. Sci. 2019, 59, 2041.

[5] A. Verma, K. Baurai, M. R. Sanjay, S. Siengchin, Polym. Compos. 2020, 41, 338.

[6] F.-L. Jin, X. Li, S.-J. Park, J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 2015.

[7] C. Soutis, Prog. Aerosp. Sci. 2005, 41, 143.

[8] J. C. Capricho, B. Fox, N. Hameed, Polym. Rev. 2019.

[9] Y. Wen, C. Chen, Y. Ye, Z. Xue, H. Liu, X. Zhou, Y. Zhang, D. Li, X. Xie, Y. W. Mai, Adv. Mater. 2022, 34, 2201023.

[10] A. Lefeuvre, S. Garnier, L. Jacquemin, B. Pillain, G. Sonnemann, Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2019, 141, 30.

[11] Plastic -The Facts 2020, Plastics Europe 2020.

[12] V. Tournier, C. M. Topham, A. Gilles, B. David, C. Folgoas, E. Moya-Leclair, E. Kamionka, M. L. Desrousseaux, H. Texier, S. Gavalda, M. Cot, E. Guémard, M. Dalibey, J. Nomme, G. Cioci, S. Barbe, M. Chateau, I. André, S. Duquesne, A. Marty, Nature 2020, 580, 216.

[13] R. Geyer, J. R. Jambeck, K. L. Law, Sci. Adv. 2017, 3, e1700782.

[14] E. Topham, D. McMillan, S. Bradley, E. Hart, Energy Policy 2019, 129, 698.

[15] J. N. Hahladakis, C. A. Velis, R. Weber, E. Iacovidou, P. Purnell, J. Hazard. Mater. 2018, 344, 179.

[16] A. Rahimi, J. M. García, Nat. Rev. Chem. 2017, 1, 46.

[17] H. Cheng, Y. Sun, X. Wang, J. Chang, D. Jing, Fibers Polym. 2019, 20, 760.

[18] X. Kuang, Y. Zhou, Q. Shi, T. Wang, H. J. Qi, ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2018, 6, 9189.

[19] J.-H. Zhu, P.-Y. Chen, M.-N. Su, C. Pei, F. Xing, Green Chem. 2019, 21, 1635.

[20] T. da Costa Dias, T. H. Panzera, J. C. dos Santos, R. Teixeira Santos Freire, C. Thomas, F. Scarpa, Mater. Today. Proc 2019, 8, 847.

[21] A. Saccani, S. Manzi, I. Lancellotti, L. Lipparini, Constr. Build. Mater. 2019, 204, 296.

[22] A. Yazdanbakhsh, L. C. Bank, K.-A. Rieder, Y. Tian, C. Chen, Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2018, 128, 11.

[23] F. Meng, E. A. Olivetti, Y. Zhao, J. C. Chang, S. J. Pickering, J. McKechnie, ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2018, 6, 9854.

[24] Y. Luna-Galiano, C. Leiva, R. Villegas, F. Arroyo, L. Vilches, C. Fernández-Pereira, Mater. Lett. 2018.

[25] D. García, I. Vegas, I. Cacho, Constr. Build. Mater. 2014, 64, 293.

[26] L. Huang, G. Xiao, Y. Wang, H. Li, Y. Zhou, L. Jiang, J. Wang, Nano-Micro Lett. 2022, 14, 168.

[27] Y. Lin, Q. Kang, Y. Liu, Y. Zhu, P. Jiang, Y.-W. Mai, X. Huang, Nano-Micro Lett. 2023, 15, 31.

[28] H. Chen, Y. Ding, G. Zhu, Y. Liu, Q. Fang, X. Bai, Y. Zhao, X. Li, X. Huang, T.-Y. Zhang, B. Li, B. Sun, NPJ Flexible Electron. 2023, 7, 24.

[29] B. Sunand, X. Huang, NPJ Flexible Electron. 2021, 5, 12.

[30] Y. Lin, Q. Kang, H. Wei, H. Bao, P. Jiang, Y.-W. Mai, X. Huang, Nano-Micro Lett. 2021, 13, 180.

[31] Y. Su, Q. Ma, T. Liang, Y. Yao, Z. Jiao, M. Han, Y. Pang, L. Ren, X. Zeng, J. Xu, R. Sun, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 45050.

[32] S. Yang, Z. Huang, Q. Hu, Y. Zhang, F. Wang, H. Wang, Y. Shu, ACS Appl. Electron. Mater. 2022, 4, 4659.

[33] L. Yang, J. Guo, L. Zhang, C. Li, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2022, 61, 8031.

[34] Z. Su, H. Wang, J. He, Y. Guo, Q. Qu, X. Tian, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2018, 10, 36342.

[35] W. Yan, X. Chen, J. S. K. Lim, H. Chen, V. Gill, A. Lambourne, X. Hu, Composites Part A 2022, 156, 106868.

[36] K. Kim, M. Kim, J. Kim, Compos. Sci. Technol. 2014, 103, 72.

[37] Z. Liu, J. Li, X. Liu, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 6503.

[38] X. Cao, L. Ge, X. Yin, G. He, Surf. Interfaces 2022, 34, 102375.

[39] H. Zhang, X. Zhang, K. Zheng, X. Tian, RSC Adv. 2021, 11, 22343.

[40] X. Chen, J. S. K. Lim, W. Yan, F. Guo, Y. N. Liang, H. Chen, A. Lambourne, X. Hu, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 16987.

[41] W. Jang, S. Lee, N. R. Kim, H. Koo, J. Yu, C.-M. Yang, Compos. Part B 2023, 248, 110355.

[42] L. Zhao, L. Yan, C. Wei, Q. Li, X. Huang, Z. Wang, M. Fu, J. Ren, J. Phys. Chem. C 2020, 124, 12723.

[43] Y. Zhu, X. Shen, D. Bao, Y. Shi, H. Huang, D. Zhao, H. Wang, J. Polym. Res. 2021, 28, 1.

[44] Y. Jiang, X. Shi, Y. Feng, S. Li, X. Zhou, X. Xie, Compos. A: Appl. Sci. Manuf. 2018, 107, 657.

[45] W. Sun Lee, J. Yu, Diam. Relat. Mater. 2005, 14, 1647.

[46] Z. Lin, A. McNamara, Y. Liu, K.-S. Moon, C.-P. Wong, Compos. Sci. Technol. 2014, 90, 123.

[47] X. Zeng, Y. Yao, Z. Gong, F. Wang, R. Sun, J. Xu, C.-P. Wong, Small 2015, 11, 6205.

[48] J. Chen, X. Huang, Y. Zhu, P. Jiang, Adv. Funct. Mater. 2017, 27, 1604754.

[49] J. Gu, Q. Zhang, J. Dang, C. Xie, Polym. Adv. Technol. 2012, 23, 1025.

[50] H. Jamshaid, R. Mishra, J. Militky, M. Pechociakova, M. T. Noman, Fibers Polym. 2016, 17, 1675.

[51] I. M. Kalogeras, W. Brostow, J. Polym. Sci. B Polym. Phys. 2009, 47, 80.

[52] S. C. Leguizamon, J. Ahn, S. Lee, B. H. Jones, Soft Matter 2022, 18, 4455.

[53] K. C. Kao, Dielectric phenomena in solids with emphasis on physical concepts of electronic processes, Elsevier, London 2004.

[54] G. Zhang, D. Brannum, D. Dong, L. Tang, E. Allahyarov, S. Tang, K. Kodweis, J.-K. Lee, L. Zhu, Chem. Mater. 2016, 28, 4646.

[55] Q. Wang, J. Che, W. Wu, Z. Hu, X. Liu, T. Ren, Y. Chen, J. Zhang, Polymers 2023, 15, 590.

[56] M. Samet, V. Levchenko, G. Boiteux, G. Seytre, A. Kallel, A. Serghei, J. Chem. Phys. 2015, 142, 194703.

[57] H. P. Palani Velayuda Shanmugasundram, E. Jayamani, K. H. Soon, Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 2022, 157, 112075.

[58] B. Gou, C. Xie, H. Xu, R. Wang, J. Zhou, L. Li, Surf. Interfaces 2023, 36, 102465.

[59] M. Awais, X. Chen, C. Dai, F. B. Meng, A. Paramane, Y. Tanaka, IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul. 2021, 28, 1751.

[60] ISO, INTERNATIONAL STANDARD, 2022, 22007–2:2022.

[61] ASTM, INTERNATIONAL STANDARD, 2014, D3039/D3039M:2014.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2024 The Authors. Energy & Environmental Materials published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Zhengzhou University.