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Okay so I've been reading some skepticism on which metals to use and where. I agree that aluminum is best for the host because it is lightweight and strong, but for the heatsink I have some knowledge that I have obtained from majoring in Biochemistry.
All elemental metals have what are called specific heat capacities. This is a value that tells BASICALLY how cold or hot the material is at a given temperature. A higher heat capacity means the warmer at a given temperature. I remember this because the specific heat of water is about 4.186 J/gm K and the specific heat of ice is 2.05 J/gm K. So for a heatsink, you want to have the lower specific heat.
Values of specific heats can be obtained from the internet and wikipedia. Here is one that agrees with my science book
Table of Specific Heats
So in all, copper is the better heatsink because it has a lower specific heat, which means that it will more readily dissipate heat.
I'm definitely open to skepticism so please comment and lets increase our collaborative knowlege!
***NOTE***
Some metals with lower specific heats than copper will be malleable, which means that it might melt or distort through heating from the diode.
All elemental metals have what are called specific heat capacities. This is a value that tells BASICALLY how cold or hot the material is at a given temperature. A higher heat capacity means the warmer at a given temperature. I remember this because the specific heat of water is about 4.186 J/gm K and the specific heat of ice is 2.05 J/gm K. So for a heatsink, you want to have the lower specific heat.
Values of specific heats can be obtained from the internet and wikipedia. Here is one that agrees with my science book
Table of Specific Heats
So in all, copper is the better heatsink because it has a lower specific heat, which means that it will more readily dissipate heat.
I'm definitely open to skepticism so please comment and lets increase our collaborative knowlege!
***NOTE***
Some metals with lower specific heats than copper will be malleable, which means that it might melt or distort through heating from the diode.
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