Synergistic improvement of thermal transport properties for thermoplastic composites containing mixed alumina and graphene fillers

In this work, a novel approach was developed for obtaining a strong three‐dimensional network of heat conducting path by filling alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) and graphene sheets (GR) into poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA). This unique structure effectively prevents the inter‐sheet restacking of graphene sheets and minimizes the thermal contact resistance between fillers and interface. The resultant exhibits a high thermal conductivity of 2.40 ± 0.07 W/m K, which is much higher than single filler at the same loading. Additionally, a strong synergistic effect can also be observed, and three‐dimensional schematic models were simulated for this enhancement. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133 , 43242.