Facile fabrication of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and its enhancement on thermally conductive adhesive applied in heat dissipation devices

Highlights: • A facile synthesis method of chemically fabrication of MWCNTs using silane coupling agent not be reported in literature was supplied. • The total extent of amine groups is 11 wt.% derived from the comparative analysis of TGA curves. • The am-MWCNTs are not thermally stable observed in DTG curves because of the obviously exothermic peaks. • The am-MWCNTs show well dispersion in resin system and great compatibility with polymer matrix. • The am-MWCNTs/EP–LWPA possesses higher CTC and lower CTE than a-MWCNTs/EP–LWPA. - Abstract: A facile synthetic scheme of amine-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using silane coupling agent has been illustrated, which has not been reported in literature. The fabricated MWCNTs were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron micrograph (FESEM). The results indicate that the amine groups have been grafted onto the surface of MWCNTs and symmetry of MWCNTs was not destroyed, simultaneously, they generated such large polar forces among nanotubes that they formed close-packed structure. Also, they were well dispersed in resin matrix and their distribution was relatively homogenous because there was less nanotubes pulled out on the fracture surface. The thermal analysis was taken for investigation of the thermal stability and thermal decomposition behavior. The comparative analysis proved the existence of amine groups and its total weight of 11 wt.%. The efficient interaction between amine grafted MWCNTs enhanced the crosslink density and the values of glass transition temperature which confirmed the efficient compatibility with resin matrix