3D printing of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets/polylactic acid nanocomposites for thermal management of electronic devices

The integration of electronic devices into various fields, from daily life appliances to industrial applications, has increased significantly. Thermal management of these devices has become crucial to improve their performance, efficiency, and lifespan. In this context, exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) stand out as promising candidates due to their superior thermal conductivity despite being electrically insulating. In this work, h-BNNS were used as fillers in polylactic acid (PLA) matrix nanocomposites for 3D-printing. First, a nanocomposite filament was prepared and then used for 3D-printing of the heat sink and LED bulb holder. The thermal conductivity of 3D-printed PLA was found to increase by 400% with the addition of 40 vol. % h-BNNS. Adding h-BNNS to PLA performed almost on par with the commercial aluminum (Al) heat sink, while improving the heat dissipation by 220% compared to bare PLA. In addition, 3D-printed h-BNNS/PLA nanocomposite LED bulb holders dissipated the excess heat from the LEDs much more efficiently than the commercial product. The results shown here have proven that h-BNNS/PLA nanocomposites have great potential for the thermal management of electronic devices.