On September 16, the Munich-based Wacker Chemie Group officially opened its new global technology center for thermal interface materials in Shanghai, China. Located at the WACKER China headquarters in the Caohejing Development Zone, the laboratory will be dedicated to basic research to develop new silicone-based thermal interface products and solutions for the electric vehicle market and the consumer electronics and telecommunications industries.
In the past ten years, thermal interface materials have become one of the fastest growing fields in the global materials market, with an average annual compound growth rate of more than 6%. They are widely used in personal computers, consumer electronics, automobiles and telecommunications industries. With the exponential increase in energy density in these industries, thermal management systems have become more and more important, and market demand for silicone-based thermal interface materials is expected to continue to grow.
Electronic components and batteries generate a lot of heat when they work, which will affect their work efficiency, reduce their service life, and even cause serious failures. Therefore, effective thermal management becomes more and more important. "In order to speed up heat dissipation, industrial manufacturers are increasingly inclined to use thermally conductive materials." Mr. Christian Gimber, head of the engineering silicone business unit of WACKER’s silicone business unit, said, "WACKER’s thermally conductive silicone is not only highly efficient, It can also meet the strict requirements of the electronics and automotive industries for operational safety and reliability."
The new R&D laboratory established by WACKER in Shanghai will be dedicated to the development of silicone-based thermal interface materials and innovative applications. Gimber emphasized, “With the new laboratory, WACKER will greatly improve its basic research capabilities for this material. , So that we can develop customized products for our customers all over the world."
The new thermal interface material technology center is located in the WACKER Shanghai Center in the Caohejing Development Zone, and can share resources such as analysis laboratories and electric vehicle laboratories in the same place. Technical experts will conduct basic research on technical problems in performance, process compatibility and cost, and develop new product types using WACKER's inherent technology. The laboratory not only uses locally available raw materials to develop customized products and solutions for the Chinese market, but also provides support for the formulation development of other laboratories in WACKER's global network, such as laboratories in Germany and South Korea.
Various thermal conductive materials are widely used in Chinese industry. "In fact, China is one of the regions with the most abundant types and applications of thermal interface materials in the world," said Paul Lindblad, President of WACKER Greater China. This new R&D laboratory will make full use of WACKER's global technology network and expertise to carry out market-oriented innovation. "In addition, placing the main research facility for thermal interface materials in China also allows us to respond more quickly to the needs of Chinese customers," Lin Bo added.
Because of its unique properties, silicones are widely used in thermal management in the automotive, consumer electronics and telecommunications industries. Silicone thermal interface material has electrical insulation, high and low temperature resistance, chemical resistance and UV radiation resistance. It can be used in the form of caulk, potting glue, adhesive, grease and foam in smart phones, telecommunication base stations and electric Automobile battery packs and electronic control modules.
WACKER`s newly opened Technical Competence Center in Shanghai will focus on basic research and develop new silicone thermal interface materials for the fast-growing electric vehicle market and consumer electronics and telecommunications industries.