Compositions having a matrix and encapsulated phase change materials dispersed therein, and electronic devices assembled therewith

1. A power module assembly comprising:

a power module having at least two surfaces, one of which is interior facing and one of which is exterior facing, and

a composition comprising a plurality of encapsulated phase change material particles dispersed within a matrix, disposed on a metallic, metal-coated polymeric, graphite or metal-coated graphite heat spreader substrate,

wherein the composition is disposed upon at least a portion of the interior facing surface of the power module, and is interposed between the interior facing surface of the power module and the substrate,

wherein the matrix comprises one or more of a (meth)acrylate, a maleimide-, an itaconimide- or a nadimide-containing compound,

the plurality of encapsulated phase change material particles have a melting point in the range of 30° C. to 100° C., and

the composition comprises 10 to 80% by volume of the matrix and 20 to 90% by volume of the plurality of encapsulated phase change material particles, expressed in terms of the combined volume of the matrix and the encapsulated phase change material particles.

2. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises thermally insulating elements.

3. The power module assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermally insulating elements in the composition comprise a gas.

4. The power module assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermally insulating elements in the composition comprise air.

5. The power module assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermally insulating elements in the composition comprise a gas within a hollow sphere-like vessel.

6. The power module assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermally insulating elements are used at a concentration within the range of 25% to 99% by volume in the composition.

7. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises thermally conductive particles.

8. The power module assembly of claim 7 , wherein the thermally conductive particles are one or more of aluminum, aluminum oxide, aluminum silicon or aluminum nitride.

9. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composition facilitates the transfer of heat from the power module to a heat sink.

10. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated phase change material has a melting point of approximately 37° C.

11. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated phase change material has a melting point of approximately 43° C.

12. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated phase change material has a melting point of approximately 52° C.

13. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power module is housed within a notebook personal computer, tablet personal computer or a handheld device.

14. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a thixotropy conferring agent.

15. The power module assembly of claim 14 , wherein the thixotropy conferring agent increases thixotropy in terms of thixotropic index value of the composition to a value at least 10 times as high as the composition without the thixotropy conferring agent.

16. The power module assembly of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated phase change material particles are coated on at least a portion of a surface thereof with a conductive material.

17. The power module assembly of claim 16 , wherein the conductive material is silver or nickel.

18. The power module assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the phase change material has a melting point of less than 40° C.