Details
The Alphacool Core 2-Part Heat Conducting Adhesive is a 2-part, epoxy-based thermal adhesive for mounting coolers onto items such as motherboard VRMs. The pack holds 4 g of black adhesive and 1 g of yellow activator, mixed in a ratio of 4:1, plus two spatulas. It is electrically non-conductive.
Properties
- Type
- 2-component epoxy thermal adhesive
- Contents
- 4 g black adhesive, 1 g yellow activator
- Mixing ratio
- 4 : 1 (adhesive : activator)
- Thermal conductivity
- 0.9 W/mK
- Processing time
- about 10 minutes
- Curing at 25 °C
- surface 2 h, complete 5 to 7 days
Where it is used
Alphacool calls the adhesive perfect for coolers on VRMs. It also names the CPU or GPU of single-board computers (Raspberry PI, ODROID, Arduino, Cubieboard etc.) as places where coolers need to be mounted more securely, and calls this adhesive the optimal choice there. According to Alphacool the field of application is so wide that even coolers on electronic components in power amplifiers or RC vehicles can be reliably and stably bonded.
Heat transfer and bond
The black component has a high metallic content of aluminum nitride (70 - 73 %), which Alphacool says guarantees optimal thermal conductivity. Once cured, the adhesive creates a stable bond. Due to the material composition, mechanical variances between the components to be bonded can also be compensated well.
Application
Start when all surfaces are clean and free of grease, dust or contaminants. Important: the processing time is limited, as a rule to about 10 minutes until the adhesive starts to cure. On a clean surface, the adhesive (black) and the activator from the yellow applicator must be mixed thoroughly with a spatula for approx. 2 to 3 minutes. Perfect mixing is important to ensure an optimum bond. The two-part adhesive can then be applied thinly, using a spatula, to the surfaces to be bonded. Finally, the components are pressed together.
Curing
Surface curing is achieved after the first two hours and complete curing takes place within days, both at 25 °C ambient temperature. Alphacool adds that higher ambient temperatures during processing ensure effective curing of the adhesive and increase strength at higher temperatures.
Technical data
| Mixing ratio (adhesive : activator) | 4 : 1 |
| Surface curing (at 25 °C) | 2 h |
| Total curing (at 25 °C) | 5-7 Days |
| Boiling point | >200 °C |
| Flash point | >88 °C |
| Specific gravity (yellow component) | 0.97 g/cm3 |
| Specific gravity (black component) | 2.08 g/cm3 |
Ingredients (component black)
| Aluminum nitride | 70 - 73 % |
| Epoxy resin | 20 - 22 % |
| Epoxy diluent | 4 - 6 % |
| Carbon black | 0.5 - 1 % |
| Substituted silane | 0.1 - 0.2 % |
| Total weight | 4 g |
Ingredients (component yellow)
| Polyamide | 80 - 100 % |
| Additive | 0 - 5 % |
| Total weight | 1 g |
In the box
- 1x Alphacool Compound Black (adhesive) 4g applicator
- 1x Alphacool Compound Yellow (activator) 1g applicator
- 2x plastic spatula
Alphacool's data sheet is a PDF to download, and so are its safety data sheets for the yellow activator and the black adhesive.
