Properties of Thermally Conductive Plastics: 10 Key Advantages
1. What Are Thermally Conductive Plastics?
Thermally conductive plastics not only have the heat-transfer performance of metals and ceramics, but also retain the other advantages of ordinary plastics in terms of design, performance and cost. Polymers or plastics are, in terms of their basic properties, heat-blocking materials. Yet injection-moldable thermally conductive plastics already exist, with thermal conductivity 100 times that of the base resin.
Thermally conductive plastics are composites made by compounding highly thermally conductive reinforcing materials into engineering plastics or commodity plastics.
2. The Ten Advantages
A. Even heat dissipation — no hot spots; B. Less deformation of parts caused by high temperatures; C. Improved mechanical properties (such as strength and stiffness); D. Low weight (40%–50% lighter than aluminum), which reduces vibration on the assembly and improves performance stability; E. A choice of base resins, such as PA, PPS, PC and PBT — or lower-cost base resins such as PP, HIPS and ABS; F. Easy to process: standard plastic molding processes can be used, suitable for high-volume production, with no secondary processing required; G. Low coefficient of thermal expansion; H. Low molding shrinkage; I. Low operating temperature, extending the average service life of components and assemblies; J. Greater design freedom.
3. Quick Reference by Dimension
| Dimension | Advantage of thermally conductive plastics | Items |
|---|---|---|
| Heat dissipation | Even dissipation, no hot spots; low operating temperature extends component life | A, I |
| Dimensional stability | Less deformation at high temperature; low CTE; low molding shrinkage | B, G, H |
| Mechanical properties | Improved strength and stiffness | C |
| Lightweighting | 40%–50% lighter than aluminum; less vibration, better stability | D |
| Material options | Base resins PA, PPS, PC, PBT — or low-cost PP, HIPS, ABS | E |
| Processability | Standard plastic molding processes; high-volume production with no secondary processing | F |
| Design | Greater design freedom | J |
4. FAQ
Q1: What is the biggest difference between thermally conductive plastics and ordinary plastics? A: Ordinary plastics are, in basic terms, heat-blocking materials. Thermally conductive plastics are injection-moldable composites with thermal conductivity 100 times that of the base resin — while retaining the design, performance and cost advantages of ordinary plastics.
Q2: How much lighter are thermally conductive plastics than metal? A: 40%–50% lighter than aluminum, which reduces vibration on the assembly and improves performance stability.
Q3: Which base resins can be used? A: PA, PPS, PC and PBT, among others — or lower-cost base resins such as PP, HIPS and ABS.
Q4: Do thermally conductive plastics require secondary processing? A: No. Standard plastic molding processes can be used, making them suitable for high-volume production with no secondary processing.
Q5: Are they suitable for parts with strict dimensional stability requirements? A: Yes. They have a low coefficient of thermal expansion and low molding shrinkage, and reduce deformation caused by high temperatures.