Thornel® and ThermalGraph® Performance & Design Advantages
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Low Density
Graphite fibers have significantly lower density than aluminum. This not only allows reduced weight, but also makes thinner components possible. Compared to copper, graphite fibers are 75 percent lighter and have 7 times the modulus. For aerospace and satellite applications where every ounce is critical, Thornel® and ThermalGraph® products present tremendous opportunities for the designer.
Manufacturers can tailor CTE to a variety of materials by combining a metal or polymer with ThermalGraph® fibers, which have a negative CTE along the fiber axis.
Negative CTE
Controlling the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is becoming a critical factor in electronic packaging. Unlike metals, graphite fibers have a negative CTE along the fiber axis. By combining Thornel® and ThermalGraph® products with a metal or polymer, you can tailor CTE to a wide range of materials.
Composites containing these materials can be used to create components with zero CTE. They also can be used to fine-tune the CTE of other materials to give you an impressive degree of dimensional stability.
Inertness
Unlike metals, graphite fibers are inert. They are extremely stable to very high temperatures, even in corrosive environments, and are generally unaffected by strong acids, bases, oxidants, salt water and atmospheric moisture.
Design Flexibility
The distinct advantages of Thornel® and ThermalGraph® products offer designers a broad range of opportunities.
- Exceptional static and dynamic fatigue strength
- High tensile strength
- Excellent friction and wear characteristics
- Easily combined with a wide range of matrices
- Available in a variety of forms
- Easy to machine and plate
High Thermal Conductivity
For applications that need fast, high-capacity heat transfer, graphite fibers offer outstanding performance. In fact, only diamond can conduct more heat than highly crystalline graphite products.
Because of their directional conduction capability, graphite fibers can be used in applications where far more metal would have to be used to accomplish the same heat transfer objective. Thornel® and ThermalGraph® products can be produced in grades that have 2 to 3 times the thermal conductivity of copper.
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