Thermal Conductive Adhesive Glue?

[johnyradio]

i see "thermal conductive paste" on ebay, but i suspect that's just heatsink compound.

**broken link removed**

i need high mechanical strength.

thx!

 

[rjenkinsgb]

You are correct, they are just heatsink compound.

The phrase you probably want is "Heatsink bonder" or "Thermal adhesive"
One of these may be suitable?
**broken link removed**

Both epoxy and acrylic types have good mechanical strength.

 

[Pommie]

I got some "Artic silver - thermal adhesive" which is a two part epoxy. Worked well. Not sure where I bought it - may have been ebay.

Mike.

 

[JonSea]

I've used some heatsink tape. It's pretty sticky, strong stuff.

 

[johnyradio]

Thx everyone. I should add that I need something that's not electrically conductive.

Those fancy items are a bit pricey for me. Hopefully, I can figure out how to DIY it.

https://www.overclockers.com/need-thermal-epoxy-make-your-own/

Can't tell if it works. He doesn't share ambient temperature, or temperature without any thermal adhesive.

 

[hyedenny]

It sounds like thermal silicone adhesive will fit the bill for you. Silcotherm, Sylgaurd, Olsus, etc. Cheap!

 

[johnyradio]

Thx!

As cheap as mixing some silicone glue or epoxy with heat sink compound?

 

[shortbus=]

Thx!

As cheap as mixing some silicone glue or epoxy with heat sink compound?

Only if you need it to stick. Heat sink compound is usually grease based, not a good thing for adhesion.

 

[unclejed613]

digikey has a bunch...

i included thermal putty in the filters, but it's not the same as actual thermally conductive adhesives.

i suppose in a pinch, you could try zinc oxide powder mixed into the resin component of epoxy, ZnO is what's used in silicone heat sink grease. or aluminum oxide which is used in those thick white heat sink insulators sometimes seen in switching supplies. the only electrically insulating oxide that's more thermally conductive than aluminum oxide is beryllium oxide, but you don't want to mess with that in powdered form, it's a health hazard.

 

[johnyradio]

i'm trying to determine which non-adhesive, standard heat-sink compounds are electrically isolated. Seems some are not.

Anybody know?

then i'll mix that with bathtub silicone glue OR 2-part epoxy, and compare. I suppose the heat-sink compound could be powder or grease form.

Only if you need it to stick. Heat sink compound is usually grease based, not a good thing for adhesion.

Yep, adhesion is the goal.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Electrolube HTPC is a metal oxide based non-conducting type - dielectric strength 42KV / mm

https://docs-emea.rs-online.com/webdocs/1507/0900766b81507678.pdf
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/thermal-grease/3008489/

It's also a non-silicon one so may have a better chance of mixing with epoxy and still setting & adhering.

 

[schmitt trigger]

I got some "Artic silver - thermal adhesive" which is a two part epoxy. Worked well. Not sure where I bought it - may have been ebay.

Mike.

I also have used Artic Silver. It bonds strongly. Thermally, it works very well but it is expensive. It also has a limited shelf life once that it has been opened.

 

[johnyradio]

Theoretically, I should be able to test the electrical conductivity of any thermal grease with a multimeter, right?

 

[unclejed613]

Theoretically, I should be able to test the electrical conductivity of any thermal grease with a multimeter, right?

you can only tell if it's conductive, you need a "megger" to find out what the dielectric strength is. that's important to know if you are applying more than 12 to 50 volts to devices on a heat sink.

 

[schmitt trigger]

To further illustrate what unclejed mentions, an insulator may posses a very high initial resistance, but could suffer from dielectric breakdown at higher voltages.
To measure the dielectric strength, you require either a Megger or a Hipot tester.

You REALLY need to know the voltage level you are attempting to insulate from.