Quick Q: Non electrically-conducting thermal-conductor?

[rhd]

What's the best way to attach an IC to an aluminum host, if you want to get the thermal heatsink benefit, but can't have an electrically conducting connection between the IC's case metal, and the case's negative battery feed?

My initial thought is to put a strip of Kapton tape between. But there must be a better way than using tape to isolate the two electrically?

Is there any type of thermal "board" or "material" tat doesn't conduct electricity, and can be fairly easily cut and worked with, without fancy tools?

There will probably be something super simple that I've over-looked

 

[bobhaha]

There sure is.... I used it in my P4 Hack thread. Its a very malleable material which has an adhesive on both sides, is electrically insulating and has IIRC 1.2W/k mm of thermal conductivity... which is pretty sweet!

Here's the link to my P4 hack

http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/18650-cree-host-p4-emitter-hack-mod-52000.html

The material is used for large transistors that need to be insulated from the case they are mounted to. So I guess they are called insulating transistor pads... The guy at your local electrical shop should know what you mean.

 

[rhd]

Digi-Key - BER163-ND (Manufacturer - GP1500-0.060-02-0404)
Looks promising. Same idea as what you used?

 

[lasersbee]

If it's a permanent installation you could try useing Arctic Silver or Alumina
Adhesive...

Jerry

 

[bobhaha]

Looks about right. Tad expensive... but it should do the job nicely.

-Adrian

 

[goninanbl00d]

Arctic Silver and Arctic Alumina adhesives (the epoxy type that comes in the two tubes) is not conductive, and works the same way as your standard two-part epoxy. Mix, set and forget.

It also works significantly (often ten or hundredfold) than those crappy thermal 'pads'. These pads often have the consistency of bubblegum, and soften when heated, and as a result, do not make a very good adhesive.

Double-sided thermal foam tape is worse; it makes the bubblegum look efficient as well as being a pain to work with.

 

[TheReddish]

Correct me if I am wrong but arctic silver can in some case act like a cap and discharge some juice, I use STG-3 and a bit of epoxy for non conductive thermal glue. Even so a thermal pad would work but I would not use thermal paste for any reason as an isolator, it just fills in cracks and scratches but promotes a metal to metal surface that could work as a condutor.