Raychem gel material improves thermal management in aerospace electronics

Citation

(1998), "Raychem gel material improves thermal management in aerospace electronics", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770ead.023

Raychem gel material improves thermal management in aerospace electronics

Raychem gel material improves thermal management in aerospace electronics

Keywords Aerospace, Printed circuit boards, Raychem, Temperature control

Raychem reports that it has developed a new family of gels that significantly improve thermal management of sensitive components and power devices in aerospace electronic equipment (Plate 14).

The new HeatPath thermally conductive gels are claimed to outperform elastomeric pads, silicone grease and adhesives in thermal management designs. The product family is designed for use with electronic equipment operating in a wide variety of environments, including aerospace and defence applications.

According to the manufacturer, HeatPath gels provide excellent thermal conductivity with much lower thermal resistance, and more than five times greater compressibility than conventional elastomers, resulting in significantly reduced device junction temperatures. The conformable nature of the gel is said to enable it to easily and completely fill all gaps between components and heat sinks with minimal pressure, avoiding damage to delicate components. This provides lower thermal resistance, while eliminating the need for costly clamping systems and tight tolerance control. Tests have shown superior performance, even when using lower cost heat sinks with rougher surfaces.

Plate 14 The new HeatPath system from Raychem improves thermal management in electronics equipment

"Raychem's new HeatPath products provide design flexibility, simple low-cost installation, and easy re-entry for board rework or repairs", said Greg Bischak, marketing manager for Raychem's Electronics OEM Components Division. "The new gel products bring value to OEM designs by addressing today's thermal design issues more cost effectively."

"HeatPath gels are not as messy and are also less craft-sensitive than silicone greases, resulting in improved production consistency", Bischak adds "and, unlike greases, gel is highly stable, ensuring reliable performance through repeated temperature cycles".

Raychem is offering three new HeatPath products:

1. 1.

   the GTQ 1000 Series;

2. 2.

   GTQ 2000 Series; and

3. 3.

   GTQ 3000 Series thermal gels.

The GTQ 1000 Series consists of thin thermal gel on a woven fiberglass carrier with typical thickness of 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 0.75mm and 1.0mm. The GTQ 2000 Series is based on an open-cell reticulate carrier, ranging from 1.5mm to 4.0mm in thickness. The GTQ 3000 Series is cast into sheet or custom profiles and ranges in thickness from 5.0mm to 15.0mm.

For more information about HeatPath GTQ 1000, GTQ 2000 and GTQ 3000 Series products, telephone free (UK) on: +44 (0) 800 96 86 26.