High thermal conductivity composite and method

Abstract

This invention is directed to a composite composition of particles of highly oriented graphite in the form of flakes having a hexagonal crystal orientation and an aspect ratio of at least 5 to 1 and a polymeric binder which when polymerized under compression forms a solid having a high thermal conductivity and low density and to a method of forming a machinable composite of high thermal conductivity comprising the steps of combining particles of highly oriented graphite flakes having an hexagonal crystal orientation and an aspect ratio of at least 5 to 1 with a polymeric binder to form a composition having at least a 40% graphite particle volume fraction, compressing the composition under a pressure sufficient to substantially align the particles parallel to one another and to the surface of the composition normal to the direction of the applied pressure until said binder polymerizes into a solid thereby forming an electrically conductive solid having a high thermal conductivity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.