Do you need a material that fulfills more than one thermal property for an efficient thermal management?
It should give off heat evenly, keep the heat well and react quickly to heat changes of the heat source. These three properties depend on two factors: thermal conductivity and heat capacity.
For different applications we have developed different cladding combinations to give you first ideas for your thermal solutions.
Also, try out your own ideas in our Clad Configurator.
A heat sink has the task of dissipating heat loss through heat conduction and convection to the environment and to prevent possible damage due to overheating. Heat sinks usually consist of a good heat-conductive metal, usually Aluminum or copper. They are used in power electronics (e.g., for electric locomotives, power supplies, processors, LED-powered lights, etc.).
The advantage of an Aluminum-Copper clad heat sink is that the thermal conductivity of copper and the heat capacity of Aluminum are combined in a composite. There are almost no electrical or thermal contact resistances.
A cladding solution of Aluminum-Copper is thus more effective for heat sinks than pure Aluminum or copper.
Stainless steel-Copper-Stainless steel clad has high strength and excellent thermal conductivity. This is great for making heat-dissipating chassis and shield boxes in smartphones, but also for e-mobility applications exposed to heat sources and hotspots.
Particularly in cooling areas in the automotive industry clad materials are ideal for understanding the positive properties of Stainless steel and copper.
The heat transfer or the thermal conductivity can be influenced by the choice of primary material, at the same time there is a high strength and optimal corrosion / erosion resistance and increased heat resistance. Typically applications are oil coolers, cooling water coolers, heating, intercoolers or air conditioning.
Where particularly high requirements must be met, Aluminum-steel clad (FERAN) is suitable for heat dissipation and reflection.
FERAN is e.g. used for heat shieldings for the engine area in the automotive industry, because of its good resistance to corrosion and oxidation in conjunction with very good heat reflection.
In addition, FERAN is used for reflector sheets in microwaves and in heaters (reflector sheets for gas heaters).
FERAN is also easy to alitate. By heating above 600 °C the material gets a dark gray surface due to the formation of a so-called intermetallic compound of Aluminum with the adjacent steel layer, whereby an excellent scaling resistance is achieved up to temperature of 850 °C.
Automotive
Hans-Jürgen Gauger
Phone: +49 2377 917–764
Fax: +49 2377 917–768
hans-juergen.gauger@wickeder.de
Elektronic / Bordnet / Thermal Management / eMobility
Carina Franken
Phone: +49 2377 917–361
Fax: +49 2377 917-861
