What are the common heat transfer media?

Common thermal conductive media include the following categories:
Thermal grease
Ingredients: Usually composed of silicone oil and thermal conductive fillers (such as aluminum oxide, boron nitride, etc.).
Features: It has good thermal conductivity, can fill small gaps, and achieve close thermal contact between the heating wire and the heated object; it has good fluidity, which is easy to apply and construct; it has high chemical stability and is not easy to react with other substances.
Application scenarios: It is widely used in the heat dissipation and heating fields of electronic equipment, small instruments, etc., such as heat conduction between computer CPU and radiator, and the bonding of small silicone heaters and heated parts.
Thermal conductive glue
Ingredients: It is generally mixed with resin matrix and thermal conductive fillers. According to different needs, curing agent, toughening agent, etc. can also be added.
Features: In addition to having good thermal conductivity, it also has bonding function, which can firmly fix the heating wire or heating component on the heated object; after curing, it forms a stable colloid with certain mechanical strength and insulation properties.
Application scenarios: It is often used in occasions where heat conduction and fixation need to be achieved at the same time, such as the packaging of electronic components and the bonding of silicone heating sheets to the equipment housing.
Heat transfer oil
Ingredients: It is mainly composed of petroleum fractions or synthetic organic matter. Common ones include mineral oil heat transfer oil and synthetic heat transfer oil.
Features: It has high heat capacity and good thermal conductivity, and can maintain a stable liquid state in a large temperature range; it has good fluidity, and can achieve heat transfer and uniform distribution through the circulation system; it is non-corrosive to metals and has good chemical stability.
Application scenarios: It is widely used in the field of industrial heating, such as heating of large industrial ovens and chemical reactors. It can also be used in some equipment that requires uniform heating, and heats objects with silicone heaters through the circulation of heat transfer oil.
Thermal pad
Ingredients: It is usually made of silicone rubber or other polymer materials with thermal conductive fillers. There are also some structures that use metal foil and thermal conductive media composites.
Features: It has a certain degree of flexibility and elasticity, and can adapt to heating surfaces of different shapes; it has good thermal conductivity and can effectively transfer heat; it has good insulation performance and can prevent electrical short circuits between the heating wire and the heated object.
Application scenarios: Commonly used for heat dissipation and heating of electronic equipment, electrical equipment, etc., such as power amplifiers, transformers and other equipment, used to transfer heat from heating elements to heat dissipation components or housings.
Thermally conductive ceramics
Ingredients: Mainly ceramic materials such as boron nitride, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide.
Features: It has extremely high thermal conductivity and can quickly conduct heat; it is resistant to high temperature, corrosion, and oxidation, and can still maintain good performance in harsh environments; it has excellent insulation performance and can avoid electrical failures during heating.
Application scenarios: It is commonly used in high-end electronic equipment, aerospace, high-temperature industrial furnaces and other fields that have extremely high requirements for thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance, such as heat dissipation of satellite electronic components, support and heat conduction of heating elements in high-temperature industrial furnaces.
Metallic thermal conductive media
Ingredients: Common ones are copper, aluminum and their alloys.
Features: It has excellent thermal conductivity and is a good conductor of heat; it has high strength and can withstand greater pressure and impact; it has good conductivity and can simultaneously achieve thermal and electrical conductivity functions in some occasions where electrical connections are required.
Application scenarios: Widely used in various occasions that require efficient heat conduction, such as the heat dissipation structure of large motors, transformers and other electrical equipment, as well as some high-precision instruments and equipment, to quickly transfer heat to the heat dissipation device through metal heat-conducting components. In silicone heaters, it can also be used as a supporting structure or auxiliary heat-conducting component for the heating wire to improve heating efficiency.