Super effective heat sink paste

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Double_A

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Jul 15, 2003
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I hope this post is allowable here. Because heat dissipation is so critical with LED lights I think this is relevant here.

Web Site: ScienceDaily Magazine
Page URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030714092651.htm


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Original Source: University At Buffalo
Date Posted: 2003-07-14

Thermal Paste To Help Minimize Overheating In Electronic Devices
A materials engineer at the University at Buffalo has invented a new thermal paste that will help solve the problem of overheating in high-performance personal computers and other electronics.

Created by Deborah Chung, Niagara Mohawk Professor of Materials Research in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the paste, when applied between a heat sink and a heat source, can greatly improve the conduction of heat from the heat source to the heat sink. Heat sinks are widely used in electronics to draw away heat produced by the device and prevent the device from overheating. "Heat dissipation is the most critical problem in the electronics industry because it limits the performance, speed and further miniaturization of microelectronics," Chung explains.

In comparative laser-flash testing, Chung's thermal paste--composed of carbon-filled organic material--performed better than the leading thermal pastes currently on the market. The results of the testing and the makeup Chung's paste will be described in a forthcoming issue of the journal Carbon.

"The invented material is superior to all other thermal pastes, including those involving exotic materials such as carbon nanotubes and diamond. It even significantly surpasses solder-the best material currently available-for improving the thermal contact between two surfaces," Chung says.

The development of heat sink materials has received much attention for the alleviation of the over-heating problem, she notes. Development of thermal pastes for improving the thermal contact between the heat source and the heat sink has received relatively little attention, however.

Without a good thermal paste, the use of an expensive heat sink material is not worthwhile, according to Chung.

"Even if the heat sink itself is very high in thermal conductivity, heat conduction from the heat source to the heat sink remains poor unless the thermal contact between heat sink and heat source is good," she says.

Additional benefits of Chung's thermal paste: it is inexpensive to produce and it also can be used on heat pipes-for drawing out geothermal energy-and within thermal fluid heaters for reclaiming heat indirectly produced by the heaters.

Chung has filed a patent application for the thermal paste, working with the UB Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR).

Chung is director of UB's Composite Materials Research Laboratory, which conducts research on composite materials for aerospace, automotive, construction and electronic applications.

UB mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate student Chia-Ken Leong assisted in development of the paste.


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Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University At Buffalo.
 
Um, WOW. It allegedly transfers heat better than solder? If it does that, then it will surely make it on the market.

I don't hold any hope that it will be cheaper than what's on the market now, though.
 
I may be mistaken but I think soldering the backside where the heatsink is attached, for the the new 5W LEDs by Luxion, voids their warranty.

I think they recomend the LED module be secured to a heatsink by a thermally conductive adhesive. Does anyone out there know for sure?

I seem to remember reading their tech sheets that several common manufacturing soldering methods are not allowed. They do state that hand soldering is allowable for the electrical connections

Regardless heat is a very bad enemy of any semiconductor device!
 
i wasn't aware that luxeons even had warantees /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

i think it would be difficult to solder a luxeon to a heatsink though, especially since most heatsinks are aluminum.

i would be very interested in aquireing some of this stuff!
 
I'll backtrack on the info about warrenties since I can't find it.

But his is from their PDF file "Electrical Drive Info Luxeon Emitter, Star...."

"The package back plane (slug) may not be attached by soldering, but rather with a termally conductive adhesive. Electrical insulation between the slug and board is required."

I guess that answers "Skankus' concerns, with regard to heat disappation in this regard.
 
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