High Thermal Conductivity in Anisotropic Aligned Polymeric Materials

Abstract

Because of their low density, high electrical resistivity, and ease of processing, thermally conductive, anisotropic polymers are appealing for thermal management in applications related to personal comfort, sports, electronics, and optics. In this review, we discuss thermal transport in the different classes of anisotropic polymer fibers and films. The role of crystallinity, chain orientation, draw ratio, temperature, and chain length/molecular weight of these materials on the thermal transport will be discussed. A special emphasis is devoted to structure–property relationships and the influence of phonon scattering. Finally, some key challenges and future prospects of the anisotropic thermally conductive polymers and their use in devices are discussed.