With the rapid development of modern technology, fields such as electronic devices and new energy have put forward higher requirements for the thermal conductivity of materials. As a widely used polymer material, improving the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber and expanding its applications in the field of thermal management have important practical significance.

Filling with high - thermal - conductivity fillers is a common strategy for improving the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber. Metal oxides (such as alumina, zinc oxide), carbon - based materials (such as graphite, carbon nanotubes), and nitrides (such as boron nitride) are common high - thermal - conductivity fillers. Taking alumina - filled silicone rubber as an example, alumina has a high thermal conductivity. After being uniformly dispersed in the silicone rubber matrix, it can form an effective heat - conduction path. When heat is transferred to the silicone rubber material, the alumina particles can quickly absorb and conduct heat, thereby improving the overall thermal conductivity of the material. Studies have shown that as the filling amount of alumina increases, the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber gradually increases. When the filling amount reaches a certain proportion (such as 40wt% - 50wt%), the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber can be increased several times. However, an excessively high filling amount may lead to poor processing performance and a decline in mechanical properties of the silicone rubber. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the particle size, shape, and surface treatment of the fillers to maintain the comprehensive properties of the material while improving its thermal conductivity.
Surface modification of high - thermal - conductivity fillers can enhance their interfacial compatibility with the silicone rubber matrix and further improve the thermal conductivity. For example, when using a silane coupling agent to treat the surface of boron nitride, one end of the silane coupling agent can chemically react with the hydroxyl groups on the surface of boron nitride, and the other end can interact with the silicone rubber molecular chains. This can improve the dispersion of boron nitride in silicone rubber, reduce the interfacial thermal resistance, and improve the heat - conduction efficiency. The thermal conductivity of silicone rubber filled with surface - modified boron nitride can be increased by 10% - 20% compared with that of unmodified boron nitride.
In addition to filling with high - thermal - conductivity fillers, constructing a three - dimensional heat - conduction network is also an effective way to improve the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber. Through special preparation processes, high - thermal - conductivity fillers are formed into a continuous three - dimensional network structure in the silicone rubber matrix. For example, using the freeze - casting technique, a silicone rubber solution containing high - thermal - conductivity fillers is directionally frozen at low temperatures, and then the solvent is removed to form a silicone rubber skeleton with a three - dimensional porous structure. High - thermal - conductivity fillers are then filled by methods such as impregnation to construct a three - dimensional heat - conduction network. This network structure can greatly improve the heat - conduction efficiency and significantly enhance the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber.
In terms of thermal management applications, high - thermal - conductivity silicone rubber can be used in the heat - dissipation field of electronic devices. For example, using high - thermal - conductivity silicone rubber as a thermal interface material between chips (such as those in smartphones and computer CPUs) and heat sinks can effectively reduce the contact thermal resistance between the chip and the heat sink, improve the heat - dissipation efficiency, and ensure the stable operation of electronic devices. In the battery thermal management system of new energy vehicles, high - thermal - conductivity silicone rubber can be used for the encapsulation and heat dissipation of battery modules, ensuring that the battery maintains an appropriate temperature during charging and discharging, and improving the performance and service life of the battery.


Ethyl Silicone Rubber MY 2056 GUM