CarbAl material is a carbon-based metal nanocomposite (CAl) comprised of 80 percent carbonaceous matrix and a dispersed metal component of 20 percent aluminum. The carbonaceous material is comprised of an isotropic thermally conductive carbonaceous matrix and additional anisotropic thermally conductive carbonaceous matter. The combination of the two carbonaceous phases achieves partial directionality whereby the heat is diffused in a preferred direction.
The high spcific heat may contribute to a large thermal conductivity yet expresses the potential of a large heat storage capacity that may be detrimental for heat sink applications. A large thermal diffusion coefficient will allow rapid diffusion of heat from the point of creation to a dissipative heat sink.
The new highly heat transmissive CarbAl material can be provided in rectangular blocks and other shapes based on form factor requirements of an application. The material is not hard and can be sliced easily to very thin samples that interface between the local point of heat creation and a heat sink or other heat dissipative device.
The new CarbAl heat sink material is a nanocomposite of a carbonaceous type of material and aluminum. The aluminum content is only 20 percent, while the thermal transmission of the new material is approaching 500 W/mK (for comparison aluminum thermal conductivity is 203 and copper is 390).
Source (p7)
