In electronic and computing, thermal pads are basically pre-formed smooth rectangles of thermally bonded material typically located on the bottom of heatsinks to help the conduction of electricity away from the device being bordered and heated, thereby allowing heat to be pushed out freely. There are two major types of thermal pads; the thermal foam pad and the gel pad. The thermal foam pads come with sponge-like material that can be heated and then the heat is slowly absorbed by the pad. The gel pads, meanwhile, came with a silicone sheet that has heat-resistance properties that make it able to absorb heat. Depending on your needs, a pad of either type may work out to be a cost-effective solution.
Using Thermal Paste: It is not only good for cooling your equipment but also is safe and environmentally friendly. You need to heat the pad using a soldering iron and then apply it to the device being cooled. The pad will then become malleable and depending on its make up, depending on its composition, can take on several designs. This flexibility makes it possible to create different-sized pads to suit the different devices. It can also become brittle over time if not properly cooled. Also, when you do find one that has become brittle, it may have come loose because of overheating or you may have disconnected it from its power source.
Using Silicone-Based Insulation: Silicone-based pads are more expensive than foam or gel pads, but they are also the most effective at reducing heat transfer. However, silicone-based thermal pads tend to deteriorate more quickly than the other two. It becomes very easy to deform them, which makes it more likely for heat to migrate to other areas of the equipment. Also, the silicone-based thermal pad is not very flexible because they are usually formed from sheets of metal.
Stickiness: A good-quality thermal pad should be quite sticky, and it should feel almost like a thick rubbery material. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case and there is a tendency for the pad to stick to itself as well as to the surface on which it is placed. As a result, heat often escapes through the bottom of the device, causing it to overheat. A better option would be to use a silicone-based paste, as these have a much higher adherence rating and stick much better to the device being heated.
Uses: Although the traditional thermal pads were always used to protect electronic equipment from high temperatures, you can now also use them to protect your computer. The idea is simple - place a heatsink on top of the pad. Heat the heatsink while it is placed on the pad. The heat sink transfers the heat uniformly across the pad. You can then use a separate keyboard to perform keystrokes on your computer. Of course, the main advantage here is that you don't need to touch the heat sink to your computer!
Another popular use for a thermal pad is to protect circuits, which is achieved by using a copper paste between the pad and the circuit board. When moisture is present in the air, the copper paste will form a barrier that keeps moisture from getting to the sensitive parts of the circuit board, such as the transistors. This means that the heating elements don't get damaged, which protects the circuit board.
