Adding Heat Management Capabilities to Thermoplastics and Thermosets

Thermoplastics and thermosets are widely used in E&Eapplications. In any case, metals are by far still the most important materials in heat management. The only drawbacks are their high price and electrical conductivities being inevitably linked to the metal properties which their high intrinsic high heat conductivity is based on. When being used in combination with electrical components with high energy density (processors, light emitting diodes, electric motors, batteries, electronics etc.) new requirements of an efficient dissipation of heat maintaining electrical insulation properties of housings are requested. The use of thermally conductive plastics creates a whole series of important advantages. Besides the benefits of lightweight construction the use of plastic offers the possibility of producing complex geometries quickly and cost efficiently by means of injection molding or casting technologies. A comparison of different materials for thermal management in thermoplastics and thermosets will be presented with a focus on heat conductivity, mechanical data and commercial feasibility. The paper will present data of heat conductive technical thermoplastics like polyamide and thermosets like epoxy as well as on novel compounds focusing on applications in LED luminaires. These new solutions developed by systematic material science approaches will give new freedom of design paired with cost effective production techniques for E&E products.