Abstract
There is an urgent demand to enhance the energy efficiency of various instruments. Carbon fiber-containing aluminum composites are expected to improve the ability of heat dissipation of heat exchanger, and heat sink. Especially, both carbon nanotube (CNT) and vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF), which is a kind of carbon fiber, have high thermal conductivities in the axial direction, because of its high aspect ratio. Therefore, alignment of carbon fibers is a key factor to fabricate high thermal conductive composites using CNT and VGCF. In this study, macro- and micro-channels were successfully fabricated and the possibility to control the alignments of VGCF using the contraction of the water flow in the channels was confirmed. The method may have a benefit to fabricate high thermal conductive composites containing CNT and VGCF.
