Resin-impregnated flexible graphite articles

Abstract

Composites are prepared from resin-impregnated flexible graphite materials. Impregnated materials are compressed and cured at elevated temperature and pressure to form structures suitable for uses such as electronic thermal management (ETM) devices, supercapacitors and secondary batteries.

1 . A resin/graphite composite comprising a resin impregnated graphite article pressure cured at an elevated temperature.  
     
     
         2 . The composite of  claim 1  wherein the resin is an epoxy.  
     
     
         3 . The composite of  claim 1  wherein the graphite article is pressure cured at a temperature of at least about 90° C. and at a pressure of at least about 7 Mpa.  
     
     
         4 . The composite of  claim 1  wherein the density of the cured composite is greater than about 1.8 g/cm 3 .  
     
     
         5 . The composite of  claim 1  wherein the graphite article is pressure cured at a temperature of below about 200° C. and at a pressure of below about 35 Mpa.  
     
     
         6 . An electronic thermal management device comprising at least one sheet of resin impregnated, compressed particles of exfoliated graphite pressure cured at an elevated temperature.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the graphite sheet is pressure cured at a temperature of at least about 90° C. and at a pressure of at least about 7 Mpa.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the device exhibits a thermal conductivity which is anisotropic in nature and is greater than 300 W/mK in at least one plane.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein the anisotropic thermal conductivity varies by a factor of at least 15 as between a plane with a higher thermal conductivity and a plane with lower thermal conductivity.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the pressure cured graphite sheet has a density greater than about 1.85 g/cm 3 .  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the sheet of graphite has a resin content of at least about 3% by weight.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein the sheet of graphite has a resin content of from about 5% to about 35% by weight.  
     
     
         13 . An anisotropic electronic thermal management device having a thermal conductivity of greater than about 300 W/mK in an in plane direction and a thermal conductivity of less than about 15 W/mK in an out of plane direction and comprising at least one resin impregnated sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13  wherein the resin is epoxy.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13  wherein the resin impregnated sheet has a density of at least about 1.85 g/cm 3 .  
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a resin/graphite composite comprising impregnated a graphite article with resin and curing the resin under pressure and at an elevated temperature.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the resin is an epoxy.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the graphite article is pressure cured at a temperature of at least about 90° C. and at a pressure of at least about 7 Mpa.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the density of the cured composite is greater than about 1.8 g/cm 3 .  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the graphite article is pressure cured at a temperature of below about 200° C. and at a pressure of below about 35 Mpa.