Thermal paste
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MX-2 and MX-3, Tuniq TX-3, Cool Laboratory Liquid Metal Pro, Shin-Etsu MicroSi G751, Arctic Silver 5, Powdered Diamond. In background: Arctic Silver thermal paste remover. Thermal paste (also called thermal compound, thermal grease, thermal interface material (TIM), thermal gel, heat paste, heat sink compound, heat sink paste or CPU grease) is a thermally conductive (but usually not electrically conductive) chemical compound, which is commonly used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources such as high-power semiconductor devices. The main role of thermal paste is to eliminate air gaps or spaces (which act as thermal insulation) from the interface area in order to maximize heat transfer and dissipation. Thermal paste is an example of a thermal interface material. As opposed to thermal adhesive, thermal paste does not add mechanical strength to the bond between heat source and heat sink. It has to be coupled with a fastener such as screws to hold the heat sink in place and to apply pressure, spreading and thinning the thermal paste.
MX-2 and MX-3, Tuniq TX-3, Cool Laboratory Liquid Metal Pro, Shin-Etsu MicroSi G751, Arctic Silver 5, Powdered Diamond. In background: Arctic Silver thermal paste remover. Thermal paste (also called thermal compound, thermal grease, thermal interface material (TIM), thermal gel, heat paste, heat sink compound, heat sink paste or CPU grease) is a thermally conductive (but usually not electrically conductive) chemical compound, which is commonly used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources such as high-power semiconductor devices. The main role of thermal paste is to eliminate air gaps or spaces (which act as thermal insulation) from the interface area in order to maximize heat transfer and dissipation. Thermal paste is an example of a thermal interface material. As opposed to thermal adhesive, thermal paste does not add mechanical strength to the bond between heat source and heat sink. It has to be coupled with a fastener such as screws to hold the heat sink in place and to apply pressure, spreading and thinning the thermal paste.
Health hazards
Zinc oxide, as a powder, is highly toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term negative effects to aquatic environments. It is considered non-toxic for human food and skin use, but dangerous when inhaled. However, it is very unlikely for zinc oxide in thermal paste to be released back into a powder form.
See also
Computer cooling Hot-melt adhesive Phase-change material Thermally conductive pad List of thermal conductivities
References
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1322513711 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.