Thermal Conductive Adhesive: Core Application Logic, Typical Fields & Development Trends
2026/01/29
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I. Core Application Logic: The “Bridge” Value of Thermal Management
Thermal conductive adhesive creates low-resistance heat transfer channels by filling micro-gaps between heat sources and heat dissipation components (e.g., chips & heat sinks, batteries & cold plates), while integrating composite functions such as bonding, insulation and shock resistance. Its core application logic can be summarized in three points:
- Thermal Resistance Optimization: Resolves the surging thermal resistance caused by interfacial air gaps, reducing the interfacial thermal resistance by more than 60% in actual tests.
- Structural Integration: Replaces mechanical connections like screws and buckles to realize the integration of “heat dissipation + fixation”, facilitating equipment miniaturization.
- Environmental Adaptability: Withstands high and low temperature alternations from -60℃ to 280℃, and is adaptable to harsh working conditions such as humidity and vibration.
II. In-depth Analysis of Five Typical Application Fields
(1) Electronic Components: Chip-Level Thermal Protection
Core Scenarios: Bonding of CPU/GPU and heat dissipation modules, packaging of power transistors (IGBT), heat dissipation of PCB board components.
Technical Requirements: Thermal conductivity of 1.5~2.5 W/(m·K), dielectric strength ≥20 kV/m, Shore hardness of approximately 42A after curing.
Application Cases: The working temperature of computer CPUs can be reduced by 15~25℃ when connected to copper heat sinks via thermal conductive adhesive; the gap between smartphone camera modules and middle frames is filled with thermal conductive adhesive to avoid imaging noise caused by high temperatures.
(2) New Energy & Automotive Electronics: Guarantee of Safety and Reliability
Thermal Management of Battery Modules
Applied for heat transfer between lithium battery cells and cold plates, it features both insulation and flame retardancy, controlling the temperature of local hot spots within a 5℃ temperature difference and reducing the risk of thermal runaway. For example, in the power battery packs of new energy vehicles, the side of each cell is coated with 0.5~1mm thick thermal conductive adhesive, which cooperates with water cooling systems to achieve global temperature control.
On board Electronic Equipment
Core automotive components such as ECUs (Electronic Control Units), inverters and radar modules are bonded to metal housings via thermal conductive adhesive, maintaining stable heat dissipation in environments from -40℃ to 125℃ and extending the service life of equipment by more than 3 times.
(3) 5G Communication Equipment: Stability Support Under High Power
Key Parts: Base station power amplifiers (PA), RF modules, router motherboards and heat dissipation cavities.
Process Features: An automatic dispensing process is adopted to precisely control the adhesive layer thickness at 0.2~0.3mm, preventing adhesive overflow from affecting circuit insulation.
Performance Value: The single-channel power of 5G base stations is increased to more than 40W, and thermal conductive adhesive can control the temperature of RF modules below 85℃, ensuring stable signal transmission rates.
Process Features: An automatic dispensing process is adopted to precisely control the adhesive layer thickness at 0.2~0.3mm, preventing adhesive overflow from affecting circuit insulation.
Performance Value: The single-channel power of 5G base stations is increased to more than 40W, and thermal conductive adhesive can control the temperature of RF modules below 85℃, ensuring stable signal transmission rates.
(4) LED Lighting: Extender of Luminous Efficacy and Service Life
Application Nodes: Bonding of LED chips and aluminum substrates, thermal connection of lamp housings and heat dissipation fins.
Key Selection Criterion: A balance between thermal conductivity (≥1.2 W/(m·K)) and light transmittance must be achieved, while meeting anti-aging requirements — after an aging test at 200℃ for 8 hours, the attenuation of thermal conductivity performance is no more than 5%.
Practical Effect: After replacing traditional thermal grease with thermal conductive adhesive in high-power LED street lamps, the light decay rate is reduced from 15% per year to 3% per year, and the service life is extended to more than 50,000 hours.
Key Selection Criterion: A balance between thermal conductivity (≥1.2 W/(m·K)) and light transmittance must be achieved, while meeting anti-aging requirements — after an aging test at 200℃ for 8 hours, the attenuation of thermal conductivity performance is no more than 5%.
Practical Effect: After replacing traditional thermal grease with thermal conductive adhesive in high-power LED street lamps, the light decay rate is reduced from 15% per year to 3% per year, and the service life is extended to more than 50,000 hours.
(5) Industrial & Special Fields: Adaptation to Extreme Environments
- Aerospace: In satellite payload equipment, thermal conductive adhesive is used for thermal coupling between components and titanium alloy shells, withstanding the cyclic impact of vacuum and high-low temperatures.
- Medical Equipment: Thermal conductive adhesive applied in the power modules of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) instruments must meet the dual requirements of low magnetic permeability and high thermal conductivity.
- Household Appliances: The soleplates of electric irons and magnetrons of microwave ovens are connected to heat dissipation structures via thermal conductive adhesive to improve thermal utilization efficiency.
III. Key Application Technologies & Precautions
(1) Core Process Control
- Surface Treatment: Acetone is required to remove oil stains on the surface of adherends; roughening treatment (e.g., sandblasting) can improve bonding strength by 40%.
- Dispensing Parameters: The adhesive layer thickness is controlled at 0.1~1mm (excessive thickness increases thermal resistance, while insufficient thickness is prone to voids), and the dispensing pressure is maintained at 0.2~0.5MPa.
- Curing Conditions: 24 hours are required for room temperature curing, and curing time can be shortened to 2 hours by heating at 60℃, with direct baking of heat sources to be avoided.
(2) Performance Testing & Standard Compliance
Multi-dimensional testing is required to verify performance before application, with the core indicators and corresponding standards as follows:
| Testing Item | Test Method | Reference Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal Conductivity | Laser Flash Method / Steady-State Heat Plate Method | GB/T 5461-2008 |
| Interfacial Thermal Resistance | Simulated Working Condition Heat Flow Test | ASTM D5470 |
| Performance After Aging | High and Low Temperature Cycle Accelerated Aging | IEC 62631-3-1 |
| Electrical Insulation | Breakdown Voltage Test | GB/T 1408.1-2021 |
Data Source: Technical Specification for Product Inspection of China Inspection Group
(3) Avoidance of Common Application Misunderstandings
- Neglecting Interfacial Bubbles: Failure to apply pressure for defoaming after dispensing will increase thermal resistance by more than 30%; vacuum defoaming or pressure curing is recommended.
- Blindly Pursuing High Thermal Conductivity: Ignoring adhesive layer thickness and interfacial adaptability — a thin-coated adhesive layer with low thermal conductivity may deliver better heat transfer performance than a thick layer with high thermal conductivity.
- Ignoring Environmental Compatibility: In humid and hot environments, water-proof thermal conductive adhesive (e.g., silicone-based systems) should be selected to avoid insulation failure caused by water absorption.
IV. Application Development Trends
- High Performance: Thermal conductivity is set to break through to 5~10 W/(m·K) through composite fillers such as nano boron nitride and graphene.
- Functional Integration: Development of multi-functional adhesives integrating “thermal conductivity + electrical conductivity/flame retardancy/adjustable thermal conductivity” to meet the needs of complex scenarios.
- Process Innovation: Pre-formed thermal conductive adhesive films replace liquid dispensing to improve the efficiency and consistency of automated production.
Dongguan Yusheng Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional enterprise dedicated to the R&D of thermal conductive materials. Customers from all industries are welcome to contact us!
