Thermal Phase Change Materials
Though less popular than standard pad and liquid based option, thermal phase change materials care be the perfect option for certain applications. Phase change materials have long been used an effective alternative to thermal grease, for a number of reasons. They are normally made of thermoplastics, meant to melt at specific temperatures.
How do thermal phase change materials work?
They work by remaining in a solid state at room temperature, then melting at a certain temperature and becoming a liquid. When they go to liquid state, they seep their way into all the microscopic nooks and crannies of your interface, virtually insuring an air-free interface.
They can be difficulty to properly dial on though. In some cases, you will be required to use spring screws in order to keep a constant pressure on the phase change materials. If you don’t you may end up with phase change liquid leaking out of the interface – once the part heats up. Some users get around the need for spring screws by doing a burn in process, in which they tighten things down, turn on the part, run it through a full cycle, then re-torque the screws.
Thermal Phase Change Material Media
There are generally two ways to use phase change materials.
- Pad form. This is the most common. The phase change thermoplastic is delivered on a substrate, much like a standard thermal pad. They can be die-cut to the shape of your heat producing component. They can also be ordered pre-applied to a heat sink.
- Printable. Some suppliers offer printable phase change materials. This media can essentially be dispensed onto your heat producing component or heat sink, and will work much in the same way as the pad based solutions.
What Applications Are a Fit For Thermal Phase Change Materials?
The best place to start with phase change materials is on applications that traditionally use thermal grease. It is a very east bride to cross into higher end thermal interface materials. Thermal phase change materials were originally designed with this in mind and are still the best step away from thermal grease or paste.
They are often used in power electronics and computing. Between CPUs and heatsinks is a very popular application. Additionally , LED lighting, power conversion and power modules frequently utilize phase change materials.