Although there is only one word difference between thermally conductive silicone grease and thermally conductive silicone, their functional characteristics are very different. Silica gel is a one-component dealcoholized room temperature curing silicone rubber, which has the functions of cooling and bonding electronic devices. Let's take a look at the difference between thermally conductive silicone grease and thermally conductive silicone!
Different characteristics
Thermal grease, also known as silicone paste, is a grease-like, non-adhesive, non-drying, special formula produced using metal oxides with good thermal conductivity and insulation combined with organosiloxane made. The product has good thermal conductivity, good electrical insulation, wide use temperature, good use stability, low consistency and good construction performance, this product is non-toxic, non-corrosive, odorless, non-dry, non-toxic dissolve.
Thermally conductive silicone rubber is a one-component dealcoholized room temperature curing silicone rubber, which has the functions of cooling and bonding electronic devices. It can be cured to a higher hardness elastomer in a short time. After curing, it is closely attached to its contact surface to reduce thermal resistance, thereby facilitating the heat conduction between the heat source and its surrounding heat sinks, motherboards, metal shells and outer shells. It has the advantages of high thermal conductivity, good insulation performance and easy use. It has good adhesion to metals including copper, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. The curing form is dealcoholized, and it does not corrode metal and non-metal surfaces.
Different ingredients
What we usually call thermal grease should be called silicone paste, which is composed of silicone oil + filler. The filler is very finely ground powder, and the composition is ZnO/Al2O3/boron nitride/silicon carbide/aluminum powder, etc. The silicone oil ensures a certain fluidity, while the filler fills the tiny gaps between the CPU and the heat sink, ensuring thermal conductivity. Since silicone oil is less sensitive to temperature, it does not thicken at low temperature, it does not become thinner at high temperature, and it is not volatile, so it can be used for a long time. Some thermal greases now use silver powder or aluminum powder as fillers, which take advantage of the high thermal conductivity of metals.
Thermally conductive silica gel refers to a type of silica gel formed by adding specific conductive fillers on the basis of silicone rubber. Such adhesives generally include thermally conductive silicone adhesives, thermally conductive silicone potting materials, and thermally conductive silicone sheets that have been vulcanized into a certain shape, thermally conductive silicone pads, and the like. The thermal conductivity of different thermally conductive silicones varies greatly. The cost price difference is also huge.
Different application points
Although silicone grease and silicone are only literally one word apart, and they are both thermally conductive materials, they are completely different things. Relatively speaking, silicone grease has a wider scope of application and is suitable for almost any heat dissipation conditions; and because silicone is difficult to remove once glued, it is mostly used in occasions that only require one-time bonding, such as Graphics card heat sink, etc.
Compared with thermal conductive silicone grease, thermal conductive silicone has a smaller scope of use, and once cured, it is difficult to separate the bonded objects. Generally, it can only be used in graphics cards and memory heat sinks. If it is used on the CPU, it will cause overheating, and it is difficult to remove the heat sink. Pulling it down forcibly may directly damage the CPU or CPU socket. However, if you pull down the silicone-bonded graphics card heat sink forcibly, it is possible to pull the display chip off the PCB.
In heat dissipation and heat conduction applications, even two flat surfaces with very smooth surfaces will have gaps when they come into contact with each other. The air in these gaps is a poor conductor of heat and will hinder the conduction of heat to the heat sink. Thermal grease is a material that can fill these voids and make heat conduction more smoothly and quickly. There are many types of silicone greases on the market today. Different parameters and physical properties determine different uses. For example, some are suitable for CPU heat conduction, some are suitable for memory heat conduction, and some are suitable for power supply heat conduction.
The above is the difference between thermally conductive silicone grease and thermally conductive silicone. I believe that everyone already understands this. Although there is a word difference between the two, the wrong use will affect the work process, so everyone must choose according to different needs. , for more knowledge about adhesives, please continue to pay attention to the TENSAN official website.
