Nanodiamond/polymer composite helps to cool LEDs
Nanodiamond and carbon nitride maker Carbodeon (Helsinki, Finland) has been granted a U.S. patent (number 9,085,723) for technology it has developed that enables detonation-synthesized diamond particles (nanodiamonds) to be combined with polymers for use in fields such as LED lighting and electronics.
Diamonds are one of the most thermally conductive materials known. In the new material, nanodiamonds are mixed with thermoplastic polymers in controlled amounts, enabling the plastic material to conduct heat at predetermined rates that depend on the mix ratio; the material is also highly wear-resistant.
The patent was filed after Carbodeon’s R&D during 2012-2013 in which they discovered that the thermal conductivity of thermoplastics can be significantly enhanced by adding nanodiamonds; interestingly, relatively small quantities of diamond usually suffice.
Source: Carbodeon
John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)
John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.