LEDs are still a growing market, as more and more traditional lighting is being replaced with LED devices, which are better in:
- Energy efficiency: it consumes less energy and is therefore more economical and reduces environmental impact
- Durability: LED light lasts longer than other forms of lighting
- Safety: LEDs do not emit harmful UV or infrared radiation.
The automotive industry is also aware of the benefits of LED lighting, which is why many customers benefit from encapsulation resins, conformal coating and thermal management materials in their interior and exterior LED lighting projects.
HTSP Electrolube: Difficulties in Application
Several problems may occur in the application of thermal management products. Although LEDs are much more efficient than traditional forms of lighting, they still produce some heat. This heat has a negative effect on performance, so heat dissipation from the LED is of paramount importance. A high temperature can not only degrade the life expectancy of the LED, but can also affect the colour it emits. In vehicle lighting, this is particularly important for safety reasons.
Thermal management materials are generally applied at around >50µm, and the best results are usually obtained with a very small amount of material. If the material is applied too thickly, there is an increase in thermal resistance and a reduction in heat transfer between the device and the heat sink or casing. In fact, products generally selected for this type of application may be too thick (250µm) and difficult to apply. To address this problem, Electrolube has a specific product: Electrolube’s HTSP.
Passing Tests
The product underwent several tests before being proposed for various applications. The objective of the tests was mainly to:
- Verify the long-term thermal stability of the product
- Check the pump-out formation during temperature changes associated with the switching on and off of LEDs.
The HTSP passed the following tests to the best of its ability, confirming that it has a higher thermal conductivity value than generally selected products, allowing LED performance to be significantly improved.
