The difference between thermal grease and thermal conductive adhesive

Many customers often confuse thermal grease and thermal conductive adhesive, and do not know how to choose when purchasing, easily mixing up the two. Although thermal grease and thermal conductive adhesive only differ by one character in the name and are both heat-conducting materials, their characteristics still have significant differences. If used improperly, the consequences can be very serious.

Thermal conductive adhesive is a one-component dehydrated room temperature curing silicone rubber that has the functions of cooling and bonding for electronic devices. It can solidify into a hard elastic body in a short time. After solidifying, it is in close contact with the surface to reduce the thermal resistance, which is conducive to the heat transfer from the heat source to the heat sink, such as the motherboard, metal case or shell.

The thermal grease we usually refer to, also known as silicone paste, is a greasy substance without adhesive properties, does not dry out, and is produced by using a special formula that combines excellent heat conductivity and electrical insulation properties of Metal oxides and organosiloxanes. The product has excellent thermal conductivity, good electrical insulation, a wide operating temperature range (-45°C ~ 200°C), good stability, low viscosity and good construction performance. These products are non-toxic, non-corrosive, odorless, non-drying, and non-soluble.

Although thermal grease and thermal conductive adhesive only differ by one character in terms of spelling and are both heat-conducting materials, they are completely different things. Compared to silicone grease, thermal conductive adhesive has a wider range of applications and is suitable for almost any heat dissipation requirement. However, due to the difficulty of removing thermal grease once it is stuck, it is mostly used in some occasions where only one-time adhesion is required.