New York:To help increase the performance and service life of LEDs (light emitting diodes) and LED assemblies, Momentive Performance Materials has introduced a new line of thermally conductive silicones to be considered for use in LED manufacturing and assembly. Available as the TIA series of curable thermal gels and adhesives and TIS series of curable thermal compounds, the new products may help LED lighting manufacturers solve the ongoing challenges of heat transfer and dissipation in LED lighting assemblies.

Momentive’s TIA thermal gels are liquid-dispensed materials for heat dissipation, available in a variety of thermal conductivity levels, viscosities and curing profiles to meet a wide range of design needs. Easy to use, the new gels, which include TIA221G and TIA216G, may extend the service life of LED light bulbs by helping manage the heat generated by drivers used to regulate voltage. Since drivers are three-dimensional and typically housed inside a light bulb fixture, a liquid-dispensed thermal material that can conform to the assembly’s design and flow into the cavity, creating a heat path from the driver to the fixture, is generally required. The TIA series is an excellent candidate to consider for use in this type of application, as the liquid-dispensed gels can fill gaps between the driver and surrounding fixture and cure at either room temperature or by accelerated heat cure to create a soft elastomer. This creates a thermal path while providing the added benefit of absorbing thermal stress due to its softness.

For designs requiring mechanical adhesion, the TIA thermal adhesives are excellent candidates to consider. This line, which includes the TIA250R and TIA600R products, is available in room-temperature and heat-accelerated cure formulations that adhere well to a wide variety of substrates. Thermal adhesive TIA0220, for example, offers corrosion-free adhesion to most metals (including copper), plastics, ceramics, glass and other surfaces without the use of primers.

The TIS series of thermal compounds, which includes TIS380C, cures at room temperature and can be considered for use in minimizing thermal resistance in LED lighting assemblies. As soft Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs), these thermally conductive compounds can help provide stress relief for delicate components as well as extremely low oil bleed and volatile contents – attributes which contribute to stability in high temperature environments.

Momentive’s TIA thermal gels, adhesives and compounds can be considered for use to create a thermal path between the LED board and heat sink, which helps protect the LED from heat emission. The TIA products are all liquid-dispensed, allowing for an exact amount of material to be applied to precise locations and assembled to create a thin bond line. This contributes to overall efficiency in heat transfer. The new products are available in thermal conductivities ranging from 1 ̴ 6 Watt/m.K, and depending on the grade, they can be applied by dispensing or screen/stencil printing.

Mr. Craig Borkowski, Global Marketing Director of Micro-electronics at Momentive, said, “We are pleased with how quickly our thermal management solutions are gaining acceptance among manufacturers. These products, along with our U.S. Department of Energy-funded research in advanced LED technology, demonstrate the depth and breadth of our commitment to supporting innovative products and markets such as LED lighting that contribute to the sustainability of everyday life.”

In addition to the TIA family of thermal gels, adhesives and curable compounds for LED assemblies, Momentive provides a comprehensive line of InvisiSil* LED silicone materials that are excellent candidates to consider for use in helping address performance and reliability challenges in LED packaging. InvisiSil materials are available either as dispensable encapsulants or as moldable grades for injection, compression, or transfer molding systems. The encapsulants offer high transmittance (>98%) even after 1,000 hours of heat exposure (150°C) and UV exposure (400nm, 800nm) coupled with refractive indices from 1.4-1.5 to extract the maximum amount of light. Momentive also provides silicone adhesives that can be used to bond lighting components, such as globe caps. These adhesives resist heat and yellowing over a wide range of operating conditions.

For more information about Momentive’s specialized solutions for the global LED market, please contact Kristy Bagan at +518 233-3773 in the Americas, Mark Fraser in Europe at +49 214-30-43729, or Keiji Kabeta in Asia at +81-3-5544-3006.