Thermally Conductive Insulators Materials And Their Impact
The Power of Thermally Conductive Insulators are designed for applications that require heat transfer while requiring insulation electrically from adjacent devices or materials. They offer a balance of high conductivity, low temperature resistance and dielectric strength. These products are used in advanced 3D integrated circuit technologies to improve cooling for the highest performance and energy efficiency in electronic devices. They are manufactured to a variety of thicknesses, allowing you to tailor the thickness for your specific application needs.
The thermal management of electronic devices is an increasingly important issue for the industry. A lack of optimized thermal management has impeded performance in critical areas such as radio frequency systems, image analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning applications. In order to address these issues, companies are turning to new thermally conductive insulators that can be produced on a large scale at reasonable prices.
In the case of insulating plastics, the key properties for this class of materials are thermal conductivity and dielectric strength. Thermal conductivity is the ability of a material to transmit heat through it, and this property depends on the temperature, structure and molecular vibrations of a material. In general, a metal's thermal conductivity decreases as it heats up. This is due to the higher packing density of atoms in a metal at higher temperatures, which reduces the mean free path of electrons. In contrast, a non-metal's thermal conductivity increases as it gets warmer. The thermal conductivity of a material is also influenced by the amount of impurities present in it, with pure metals having very high thermal conductivities.
Polymer adhesives have very low thermal conductivity, but they can be made to have high thermal conductivity by adding metallic or inorganic fillers to the formulation. These types of fillers also have a negative effect on the electrical properties of an adhesive, so these solutions are not suitable for applications that require both conductive and insulating properties.
There are four primary types of thermal insulation: granular, fibrous, cellular, and reflective. Granular insulation materials, such as calcium silicate, have air entrained in their matrix. Fibrous insulation, such as mineral wool and glass fiber, contain air between the individual fibers. Cellular insulation, such as cellular glass and foamed plastics, have small sealed or partly sealed air or gas cells. Reflective insulation, such as aluminum foil and stainless steel sheeting, has a reflective surface that prevents the transmission of heat from one side to the other.
CMI thermally conductive insulators are a great solution for a variety of applications. They withstand drilling in mechanical fixing installations and provide a consistent breakdown voltage. They are available in standard and customized dimensions, with or without an anti-static coating, to meet the needs of your specific application. CHO-THERM can also be die-cut to your desired shape or dimension, providing an easy-to-install solution for your thermal management needs. Find out more about how CHO-THERM can help with your next project by contacting us today.