A heat sink is very important in electronics, as it helps to dissipate heat that can damage sensitive components and even cause total ...
A heat sink is very important in electronics, as it helps to dissipate heat that can damage sensitive components and even cause total failure. But this heat energy still needs to travel from its source to the sink — how is this achieved?
With thermal interface materials, or TIMs for short. These materials conduct the heat energy where it needs to be, out of harm's way.
In the world of AME and printed electronics, these materials don't only need to be effective; they need to be 3D printable too. Among the biggest TIM advances in recent years is the development of printable materials that do not sacrifice TIM performance.
For example, polybutylaminocarbonyloxyethyl acrylate and liquid metal (Poly BCOE/LM) composites. This material has a high thermal conductivity of 3.49 WmK and a low total thermal resistance of 0.69 cm2kW. It can also be printed and deployed with rapid speed, basically checking all the boxes as a leading, modern thermal interface material.