Common used thermal interface materials
Thermal Interface Materials, also known as TIMs, is a special type of materials used as a bridge between two surfaces, allowing heat dissipation and temperature equalization between the two surfaces. These materials are ideal for applications such as thermal management, computing, and industrial electronics. The common used thermal interface materials are like thermal grease, thermal conductive potting adhesive,thermaal pad, graphite sheet,etc:
Thermal Grease:
Thermal grease is currently the most widely used thermal conductive medium. It is an ester like substance formed by using silicone oil as raw material, adding thickeners and other fillers, and undergoing heating, pressure reduction, grinding and other processes. The substance has a certain viscosity and no obvious particle sensation. The working temperature of thermal conductive silicone grease is generally between -50 ℃ and 220 ℃, and it has good thermal conductivity, high temperature resistance, aging resistance, and waterproof properties.
During the heat dissipation process of the device, after heating to a certain state, the thermal conductive silicone grease presents a semi liquid state, fully filling the gap between the CPU and the heat sink, making the connection between the two more tightly, thereby strengthening heat conduction. Normally, thermal conductive silicone grease is insoluble in water and is not easily oxidized. It also has certain lubricity and electrical insulation properties.
Thermal conductive potting adhesive:
Like thermal grease, thermal conductive potting adhesive is also made by adding certain chemical raw materials to silicone oil and undergoing chemical processing. But unlike thermal grease, there is a certain viscous substance in the chemical raw materials it adds, so the finished thermal conductive silicone has a certain degree of adhesion.
The biggest characteristic of tthermal conductive potting adhesive is its hard texture after solidification, and its thermal conductivity is slightly lower than that of thermal grease. At present, there are two types of thermal conductive silicone on the market: one is a white solid after solidification, and the other is a black glossy solid after solidification. Generally, manufacturers are accustomed to using the first type of silicone as the adhesive between the heat sink and the heating object. Its advantage is its strong adhesion, which precisely becomes its disadvantage. When we need maintenance, we often find a large amount of solid white silicone residue on the contact surface between the bonded components and the heat sink after laboriously separating them, which is quite difficult to remove.
Thermal PAD:
The thermal pad has good thermal conductivity and high-level voltage resistance insulation, with a thermal conductivity coefficient of 2.6W/mK and a voltage breakdown resistance value of over 4000 volts. It is a substitute product for thermal grease. The material itself has a certain degree of flexibility, and it fits well between power devices and heat dissipation aluminum sheets or machine shells, achieving the best thermal conductivity and heat dissipation purposes, meeting the current requirements of the electronic industry for thermal conductive materials, It is the best product to replace the binary thermal cooling system of thermal grease . This type of product can be arbitrarily cut, which is conducive to meeting the requirements of automated production and product maintenance.
Graphite sheet:
The graphite sheet is made of graphite composite material, which undergoes certain chemical treatment and has excellent thermal conductivity. It is suitable for the heat dissipation system of electronic chips, CPUs, and other products.
Thermal Interface Materials are an important part of the electronics industry. They offer superior heat dissipation and temperature equalization, allowing to maintain optimal performance in a variety of applications. They are also used to reduce the size, weight, and cost of electronics. While their selection depends on the application, the right TIM can provide superior performance at an affordable cost.
