Any recommendations for thermal glue to mount electronic components?
October 19, 2022 10:39 AM   Subscribe

Hi folks. I have to mount a bridge rectifier in a stereo amplifier, and I can't drill a hole in the chassis, so I figured I could use thermal glue. This is not something I have experience with. Does anyone have any suggestions? It doesn't have to be conductive.
posted by Slinga to Technology (3 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Various manufacturers offer self-adhesive thermal pads - essentially, a double sided tape - for exactly this use case. I think you'd be better off just picking up one of those from an electronic components supply store than using an actual glue, mainly because tearing apart a tape pad to replace a failed component is always going to be easier than trying to break e.g. a metal-loaded epoxy glue joint.

I wouldn't worry too much about trying to acquire some theoretically optimum thermal adhesive, considering that a bridge rectifier in an audio amp is typically not going to be dissipating vast amounts of power. Whatever's easiest to get your hands on should work fine.
posted by flabdablet at 10:56 AM on October 19, 2022


If it's a fairly smooth/regular surface, heat sink tape holds well, is resistant to expected heat levels, and is generally non-corrosive to copper and components. It's cheap and relatively easy to find, but it is thermally conductive by design, so be aware of this when you're choosing where to mount your components.

It's hard to find affordably in small quantities, but 3M 3748 is a good general purpose thermal glue for electronics projects. It is non-corrosive to copper, so it won't damage traces. It is also available in a self-extinguishing variant. I've only been able to find it in 5/8" dia. sticks, which often do not fit smaller household glue guns.

The concern with off-the-shelf hardware store glue sticks or epoxies is that they may contain or may offgas volatile compounds that can corrode other components, or delicate copper traces. And the damage may take a long time to manifest.
posted by xedrik at 10:57 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]


Hi;
Perhaps this link would be of some help :-)

http://thistothat.com/
posted by LOOKING at 12:01 PM on October 19, 2022


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