Still Struggling with Plastic Heat Dissipation? Here’s a Comprehensive Purchasing Guide for Thermally Conductive Plastics!

I. Key Characteristics of Thermally Conductive Plastics

1. Performance Advantages

Weight Advantage: With a density only two-thirds that of aluminum alloys, they significantly enhance product lightweighting.

Molding Efficiency: Utilize injection molding processes, eliminating post-processing steps in traditional metal machining and shortening production cycles.

Cost-Effectiveness: Superior price-performance ratio due to processing efficiency, material weight reduction, and eco-friendliness.

Environmental Benefits: Cleaner production processes, recyclability, and lower carbon footprint compared to metals and ceramics.

Design Flexibility: Enable complex geometries and thin-walled structures for diverse applications.

Electrical Safety: Combine thermal conductivity with excellent insulation, ideal for non-isolated power supplies.

Chemical Stability: Outstanding corrosion resistance for long-term use in harsh environments.

2. Performance Comparison

II. Thermal Theory and Heat Dissipation Design

1. Heat Transfer Mechanisms

1. Convection:

- Follows Newton’s cooling law, relying on fluid (e.g., air) movement. Forced convection (e.g., fans) enhances heat exchange.

2. Conduction:

- Efficiency depends on:

- Effective contact area

- Material thickness

- Thermal conductivity (λ)

(Metals traditionally dominate here)

3. Radiation:

- Infrared radiation (8–14 μm wavelength) transfers energy, influenced by:

- Heat sink geometry

- Effective radiation surface area

- Material emissivity

2. Thermal Resistance Model

Total system thermal resistance (Rj1–Rj5) is a series sum. Thermally conductive plastics optimize two critical resistances:

Rj3 (substrate material resistance)

Rj5 (heat sink-air interface resistance)

3. Critical Thermal Conductivity Threshold

When λ > 5 W/m·K and thickness < 5 mm, convection dominates, allowing plastics to match metal performance.

4. Plastic vs. Metal Thermal Conductivity

Traditional View: Metals (e.g., aluminum, λ≈200 W/m·K) dominate LED heat sinks, while plastics (λ<1 W/m·K) fail.

Key Findings:

1. Low λ (<5 W/m·K): Conventional plastics (λ<1 W/m·K) underperform.

2. Breakthrough Range (λ≥5 W/m·K + thickness<5 mm): Convection-driven, λ impact diminishes.

3. Substitution Feasibility: Plastics with λ≥20 W/m·K (1/10 of metals) and <5 mm heat-source distance achieve comparable performance.

Innovation: Thermally conductive plastics (λ≥5 W/m·K + thin-wall design) disrupt metal-dependent paradigms.

III. Material Composition and Selection

1. Thermal Fillers

Metallic: Electron-driven (e.g., Cu/Al powder) – efficient but conductive.

Non-Metallic: Phonon-driven (e.g., Al₂O₃, BN) – electrically insulating.

2. Filler Performance Comparison

3. Matrix and Formulation

Polymers: PPS, PA6/66, LCP, PC – balance temperature resistance, processability, and cost.

Performance Types:

Insulating: Oxide/nitride fillers (e.g., Al₂O₃ + PA6).

Conductive: Metal/graphite fillers (e.g., carbon + PA).

IV. Market Overview and Products

1. Global Brands

SABIC: DTK22, OX11315, OX10324, PX11311U, PX11313, PX13322, PX13012, PX10323

Envalior: D5506, D3612, Stanyl-TC154/155, TKX1010D, D8102, Stanyl-TC153

Celanese: D5120

2. Material Selection Criteria

Thermal Performance: High-λ fillers (BN/SiC for demanding applications).

Electrical Safety: Insulating fillers (Al₂O₃/BN).

Moldability: High-flow polymers (e.g., nylon) for complex parts.

Cost: Al₂O₃ is cost-effective; BN is premium.

3. Industry Innovations

Material R&D: High-filler, low-viscosity composites (nanofiller technology).

Performance Breakthroughs: Insulating plastics achieving λ>5 W/m·K.

4. Market Outlook

Driven by 5G, EVs, and Mini LED adoption, demand grows for lightweight thermal solutions (e.g., automotive electronics, wearables).