Improved Performance of Graphene in Heat Dissipation when Combined with an Orientated Magnetic Carbon Fiber Skeleton under Low-Temperature Thermal Annealing

Abstract

The high thermal conductivity and stability, outstanding mechanical properties, and low weight make graphene suitable for many applications in the realm of thermal management, especially in high integration systems. Herein, we report a high-performance, low-temperature reduced graphene oxide/magnetic carbon fiber composite film. Magnetic carbon fibers were prepared using a co-precipitation method, and the graphene oxide solution was prepared using an improved Hummers’ method. The magnetic carbon fibers were orientated by magnetite and immersed in the graphene oxide solution during filtration, followed by annealing at 800 °C. The composite film exhibited improved thermal conductivity (over 600 W/m·K) and mechanical properties (tensile strength of 37.1 MPa and bending cycle of up to 8000). The experimental results illustrate that the graphene in the composite membrane provides heat transfer channels to promote in-plane thermal conductivity, while the magnetic carbon fiber acts as a scaffold to reinforce the mechanical properties and improve the quality of the graphene. Due to the synergistic effect of the graphene and magnetic carbon, this composite has wide potential applications in heat dissipation.