Amirkabir University of Technology AUT Journal of Mechanical Engineering 2588-2937 10 3 2026 07 01 Recent Developments in Carbon based and Graphene based Thermal Interface Materials: A Review 255 268 5971 10.22060/ajme.2026.24363.6196 EN Amol Radhakisan Dhumal Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, SPPU, Pune-411037, India 0009-0005-1948-7263 Atul Kulkarni Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, SPPU, Pune-411037, India 0000-0002-6452-6349 Nitin Ambhore Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, SPPU, Pune-411037, India 0000-0001-8468-8057 Journal Article 2025 07 07 This review presents a comprehensive and critical evaluation of carbon-based and graphene-based thermal interface materials (TIMs) for advanced thermal management in electronic systems. Conventional TIMs typically exhibit thermal conductivities in the range of 0.1–10 W/m·K, limiting their effectiveness in high-power and miniaturized devices. In contrast, carbon-based TIMs demonstrate significantly enhanced performance, with carbon nanotube (CNT) composites achieving 8–12 W/m·K and graphene-based composites reaching up to 23.2 W/m·K at 60 wt% loading. We provide a detailed comparative analysis of CNT and graphene architectures, emphasizing their exceptional intrinsic thermal conductivities (~3000 W/m·K for CNTs and ~5000 W/m·K for graphene) and addressing practical challenges such as interfacial resistance, dispersion uniformity, and large-scale integration. The review synthesizes fabrication strategies, performance trends, and application-specific considerations, while outlining future directions including hybrid architectures, eco-friendly formulations, and cost-effective, scalable manufacturing techniques. By integrating quantitative comparisons and identifying critical research gaps, this work offers a roadmap for next-generation TIM development aimed at a high-power electronics, telecommunications, and computing systems, where efficient thermal management is essential for reliability, energy efficiency, and long-term operational performance. https://ajme.aut.ac.ir/article_5971_73983c01982794632e0270cd0006d407.pdf