Spinel Composite Oxide Thermal Conductivity Water Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional thermally conductive materials for electronics, such as magnesium oxide and aluminum oxide, face issues with moisture absorption leading to thermal conductivity degradation, poor water and acid resistance, and high hardness causing wear in production equipment, while other materials lack sufficient thermal conductivity or electric insulation.

Innovation Solution

A thermally conductive composite oxide with a spinel structure is developed by firing an alumina-based compound with metals like magnesium, zinc, or calcium, achieving a balance of thermal conductivity, water resistance, acid resistance, and reduced hardness, which is then processed into a flake-like or needle-like shape for enhanced performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If magnesium oxide is used as a filler, then thermal conductivity is improved, but water resistance deteriorates due to moisture absorption and hydration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal conductivityVSAvoidwater resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses a composite oxide containing both magnesium and aluminum in a spinel structure. This composite material combines the high thermal conductivity of magnesium oxide with the water resistance of aluminum oxide, achieving both improved thermal conductivity and water resistance simultaneously rather than treating them as separate properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If aluminum oxide is used as a filler, then water resistance is improved, but hardness becomes too high causing wear in production apparatuses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater resistanceVSAvoidhardness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The spinel structure composite oxide combines aluminum oxide's water resistance with magnesium oxide's lower hardness. The synergistic effect of the composite structure maintains excellent water resistance while reducing hardness to prevent wear of production equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by controlling the molar ratio of magnesium to aluminum (0.1-1.0) and optimizing particle morphology (flake-like or needle-like shapes with specific dimension ratios). These parameter changes achieve the desired balance between water resistance and hardness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If surface treatment is applied to magnesium oxide, then water resistance is improved, but thermal conductivity and molding processability are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater resistanceVSAvoidthermal conductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the water resistance property from aluminum oxide and integrates it directly into the magnesium oxide crystal structure to form a spinel composite. This eliminates the need for separate surface treatment coatings that would otherwise be required to improve water resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the properties of magnesium oxide (high thermal conductivity) and aluminum oxide (water resistance) into a single spinel structure composite material. This unified material provides both high thermal conductivity and water resistance without requiring surface treatment layers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 composite oxide provides excellent thermal conductivity, water resistance, acid resistance, and electric insulation without the need for surface treatment, improving the physical properties of molded materials and maintaining strength, while reducing wear and improving molding processability.

Implementation Method 1

A thermally conductive composite oxide having a spinel structure, obtained by firing an alumina-based compound and a compound of a metal other than aluminum

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiring: Sintering

Data Source

PatentEP3118160B1Thermally conductive complex oxide, production method therefor, thermally conductive complex oxide-containing composition, and use therefor

Publication Date: 2019.05.08 DAINICHISEIKA COLOR & CHEMICALS MFG CO LTD

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a thermally conductive composite oxide that can realize physical properties required for coating films, films, and molded products obtained by single use of the thermally conductive composite oxide blended into paints and resin compositions without the need for an improvement measure such as surface treatment and that is excellent in thermal conductivity, water resistance, acid resistance, and electric insulation. The object is achieved by a thermally conductive composite oxide and the production process thereof, the thermally conductive composite oxide being a composite oxide having a spinel structure and containing aluminum as a main component metal and at least one metal other than aluminum, and in the thermally conductive composite oxide, the metal other than aluminum is at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, calcium, and strontium, the ratio, (b mol)/(a mol), of the number of moles (b) of the metal other than aluminum to the number of moles (a) of an aluminum element in the alumina-based compound is 0.1 or more and 1.0 or less, and the Mohs hardness of the thermally conductive composite oxide is less than 9.