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If you’re working with electronics, you know the importance of gap pads. To oversimplify it, thermally conductive pads are used between heat sources and heat sinks to help ensure heat is transferred more efficiently or to keep heat from transferring. There’s a lot more to thermal materials, however, so it’s best to discuss your options with materials expert when you’re deciding what to buy.

5 Benefits of Silicone Gap Pads

Silicone has an advantage when you need a thermal pad that is soft and extremely easy to conform while also being reliable under high temperatures. Here are five benefits of silicone gap pads:

  1. Thermal conductivity: Up to 5 K
  2. Dielectric strength: Good
  3. Heat resistance: Excellent
  4. Flame retardancy: Good
  5. R/M cost: High

5 Benefits of Acrylic Gap Pads

Acrylic is a great material option if you need a lower-cost thermal pad with no siloxane VOC and no oil bleeding. It’s a soft material that conforms well, though not quite as well as silicone. Here are five benefits of acrylic gap pads:

  1. Thermal conductivity: Up to 4 K
  2. Dielectric strength: Excellent
  3. Heat resistance: Good
  4. Flame retardancy: Good
  5. R/M cost: Low

Need Custom-Fabricated Thermal Pads? Call 952-368-4225 to Talk to an Expert and Get a Quote!

American Flexible Products is a nation-wide converter of flexible materials—from foam to rubber to silicone and more. Every product is custom-cut and shaped to your design specs by our materials engineers. We are a 3M™ Preferred Converter, which allows us to custom fabricate 3M thermal management materials. Contact us and our material experts will help you choose the right grade, size, and shape for your prototype.

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