Towards a Tuneable Thermal Conductivity Material via Low Voltage Ordering of CNT Networks

Traditionally we seal our devices and insulate our houses with static materials that possess no ability to change their insulation value. This inevitably leads to increased energy consumption due to thermal management needs: a device may be required to be cooler or warmer, and an insulating material, of static thermal conductivity, doesn’t help in this regard. Here we examine the real-time tuneable thermal conductivity properties of a low-voltage device, consisting of a Carbon Nanotube Network embedded in a gel matrix and sandwiched between custom made electrodes. The operating principle is that the thermal conductivities of disordered networks tend to be insulating, while highly aligned networks become metallic. The thermal conductivity, durability, power consumption and extensibility properties of the device are examined.