Thermal management

As electronic products often become smaller and smaller but with increased capacity, the requirements for good heat dissipation increase. Even LED-based light sources require good heat dissipation, as LEDs themselves get hot and too much heat shortens the lifespan. Thermally conductive products are available in a variety of types, e.g. pads, "phase change material", pastes, glues, gels, tapes, etc. Some thermally conductive materials are also electrically conductive, which can cause problems in some applications. You then need to choose a material that is thermally conductive and at the same time electrically insulating. Good to know is that it is not always the material with the highest thermal conductivity that provides the best heat dissipation, as other parameters play a big role, e.g. wetting against surfaces, viscosity and gap.