One-Part Thermally Conductive Silicone Grease for Room-Temperature Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current thermally conductive silicone grease compositions face challenges with storage stability at room temperature, operational ease, and reliability in harsh thermal environments, particularly due to issues with microparticle catalysts and curing processes that require heating, leading to inefficiencies and potential contamination.

Innovation Solution

A one-part curable thermally conductive silicone grease composition is developed, which includes specific components like organopolysiloxanes, organohydrogen siloxanes, thermally conductive fillers, and a microparticle catalyst with a softening point above 40°C, allowing for storage at room temperature and curing without the need for external heating, ensuring stability and reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a one-part additive-curable heat dissipating grease is used, then ease of operation is improved, but frozen or refrigerated storage is required making product control difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidproduct control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the storage temperature parameter from below freezing (required by conventional additive-curable greases) to above freezing (0°C or higher) by modifying the catalyst system and composition formulation, enabling room temperature storage while maintaining curability and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a specific catalyst system as an intermediary that enables the composition to remain stable at higher storage temperatures while still allowing additive curing to proceed effectively, bridging the gap between storage stability and curability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a one-part additive-curable heat dissipating grease is used, then ease of operation is improved, but heating is required for curing leading to increased process complexity and time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The composition is designed to cure through additive reaction without requiring external heating, allowing the material to self-cure at room temperature or elevated storage temperatures, thereby eliminating the heating step and reducing process complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the curing condition parameter from requiring heated processing to enabling curing at storage temperature, fundamentally simplifying the application process while maintaining ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If heating is applied for curing, then curing is achieved, but production efficiency is reduced due to increased process time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecuring achievementVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The composition cures through additive reaction during storage or application without requiring separate heating treatment, eliminating process time and improving production efficiency while ensuring complete curing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The curing process begins immediately upon mixing and continues during storage and application without interruption by heating steps, maintaining continuous useful action and reducing total process time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Reliability

If heating is applied for curing, then curing is achieved, but environmental load is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecuring achievementVSAvoidenvironmental load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The composition cures through additive reaction at storage temperature without requiring energy-intensive heating, eliminating thermal pollution and reducing environmental load while achieving complete curing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of requiring heating (energy consumption and environmental load) into a benefit by formulating a composition that cures at lower temperatures, using the additive reaction to drive curing without external energy input

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

5Ease of operation

If microparticle catalyst is used, then room temperature storage is enabled, but storage stability deteriorates over time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage convenienceVSAvoidstorage stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a specific catalyst system with controlled particle characteristics as an intermediary that prevents premature reaction while enabling curability, maintaining storage stability over time without sacrificing room temperature storage convenience

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes the catalyst particle parameters (size, distribution, surface properties) to achieve a balance between maintaining storage stability and enabling curability, preventing aggregation and premature reaction while ensuring effective catalysis when needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition exhibits long-term storage stability, maintains heat dissipating functionality in high thermal environments, and provides reliable coating performance without voids or cracking, enhancing the reliability of electronic devices under harsh conditions.

Implementation Method 1

a microparticle catalyst with a softening point above 40°C, allowing for storage at room temperature and curing without the need for external heating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Implementation Method 2

thermally conductive fillers... maintains heat dissipating functionality in high thermal environments

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

curable types that can be hardened after being compressed to a desired thickness... through hardening after deformation to the desired thickness

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCross-linking reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3533837B1One-pack curable type thermally conductive silicone grease composition and electronic/electrical component
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 DOW TORAY CO LTD
  • EP3533837B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3533837B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3533837B1 patent drawing

AI summary

To provide a single-fluid curable thermally conductive silicone grease composition having long-term storage stability at room temperature and which can be stored vertically in a harsh thermal environment, to provide a method for coating the same, and to provide an electronic device having said composition. [MEANS FOR RESOLUTION] A single-fluid curable thermally conductive silicone grease, comprising: an organopolysiloxane, having an aliphatic unsaturated hydrocarbon group per single molecule, with a viscosity at 25°C between 50 and 100,000 mPa • s; an organohydrogen siloxane that includes hydrogen atoms bonded to at least two silicon atoms per single molecule; a thermally conductive filler that includes particle diameters with an average particle diameter between 0.01 and 200 µm; a microparticle catalyst, with an average particle diameter of between 0.01 and 10 µm, comprising a thermoplastic resin with a softening point between 40°C and 200°C, wherein a platinum-based catalyst is included at no less than 0.01 mass %, as platinum metal atoms; and a curing control agent, wherein: the complex modulus of elasticity after curing is between 0.01 MPa and 20 MPa at 25°C.