Military electronic equipment is often subjected to harsh operational environments characterized by mechanical shocks, vibrations, and rapid temperature fluctuations. Therefore, reliably protecting internal components is crucial. To ensure system reliability, potting materials must provide both mechanical cushioning and environmental stability. While polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a promising option due to its excellent flexibility, chemical stability, and environmental resistance, its low thermal conductivity limits its effectiveness in thermal management. In this study, we aimed to address these limitations by fabricating aluminum nitride (AlN)/PDMS composite potting materials. We evaluated their thermal and mechanical properties based on varying filler loadings. PDMS specimens with different AlN contents (0, 5, 10, and 20 wt%) were prepared, followed by systematic compressive tests and thermal conductivity measurements. The results indicated that both compressive strength and thermal conductivity improved consistently with increased AlN filler loading, achieving up to a 46.7% enhancement in thermal conductivity while reasonably maintaining the inherent elasticity of the elastomer. These findings suggest that AlN/PDMS composites can effectively serve as protective materials that meet the thermal management and mechanical cushioning requirements of defense electronics, providing a foundational guideline for designing military-grade potting materials.

In this study, pyrolytic graphite was applied to overcome the conventional cooling system. Pyrolytic graphite is an anisotropic material with high thermal conductivity in the X-Y direction and low thermal conductivity in the Z direction. The advantage of high thermal conductivity in the plane direction is applied to improve the performance of the cooling capacity transceiver module housing made of aluminum. In comparison with the housing using the aluminum, the housing applied to the PGS plate shows a higher cooling performance on the average temperature of chips and the temperature variations by 2.79% and 49.98%. The heat dissipation performance was investigated according to the thickness of the PGS and the via the shape. When the factor of thickness in PGS plate was “0.375”, the average temperature of the chip was the lowest, and the temperature variation decreased due to increasing the factor of thickness in the PGS plate. In the case of the via shape, the “separation plate” showed the lowest average temperature of chips and the “plate” showed the lowest temperature variation.