The material selection of the heat sink directly affects its thermal conductivity and applicable scenarios. The following is a detailed analysis of the main materials and their characteristics:
1. Mainstream materials
Copper
Advantages: Excellent thermal conductivity (thermal conductivity 401 W/m·K), fast heat conduction speed, suitable for efficient heat dissipation needs, such as high-heating components such as CPU.
Disadvantages: High cost (about 3 times that of aluminum), heavy weight, difficult processing and easy oxidation.
Application: Commonly used in the base of the radiator or the part in direct contact with the CPU to improve the heat dissipation efficiency by quickly absorbing heat.
Aluminum alloy
Advantages: Low price, light weight, easy processing, suitable for mass production; common models such as 6063 T5 aluminum (purity above 98%).
Disadvantages: Thermal conductivity is only about 50% of copper (thermal conductivity 237 W/m·K), which needs to be compensated by increasing the fin area or optimizing the structure.
Application: The heat dissipation needs of ordinary electronic equipment (such as computers and TVs) account for the mainstream of the market.
2. Special materials
Silver: Best thermal conductivity, but extremely expensive, only used in laboratories or extreme scenarios.
Steel: Worst thermal conductivity, mainly used for radiators with high corrosion resistance requirements.
3. Mixed material solutions
To balance performance and cost, the following combinations are common:
Copper-aluminum combination: The copper base absorbs heat quickly, and the aluminum fins expand the heat dissipation area (such as AVC copper-embedded technology, FOXCONN copper-embedded solution).
Heat pipe technology: Combines the thermal conductivity of copper with the lightweight of aluminum, used for high-end radiators.
4. Material selection suggestions
Ordinary users: Aluminum alloy heat sinks are sufficient to meet daily needs.
High-performance scenarios: Prefer copper-aluminum mixed
