heat dissipation method

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You are right, they don't *specifically* mention mica, ... and why would they?
Who wants to push "competition"?

But mica is not a "mystery" material, being the standard for many years now against which all others are compared to.
And its value can be "read" (or better said, "interpolated") from that graph easy enough.

A typical Rth value for Mica is around twice what would be achieved by grease alone, as in the old rating shown over and over in datasheets, since when Germanium Transistors were the Industry standard.

As in: "Thermal resistance case to heat sink, 0.5ºC/W with grease alone ; add 1ºC extra if mica (+ grease, of course) is used"
So I consider (for quick comparison, of course) mica +grease=3X grease alone.

And even Keratherm red does nor seem to beat that.

Can't be more precise, because that is not a proper Rth graph but a 3D bar/columns graph, so you can't exactly match column height to the scale on the left.

They do show a product which seems to beat grease + mica, which is some kind of wax (PCM).
Probably it's useful in some very special situations, but I would be very nervous using a thermal/insulating material that melts between 48 and 60ºC 😱
 
I will also stick with mica.
You should realise though that "standard" mica washers are much thicker and have a much higher voltage breakdown than is normally needed.
You can carefully de-laminate mica washers to reduce their thickness considerably and thus reduce Rth.

Frank
 
Most modern replacement for mica+grease are aimed at quicker or more convenient assembly in a factory, not better performance. It may be that they work better when badly used, while the mica method needs to be done properly: flat heatsink (no burrs etc.), very thin layer of grease, no air pockets.

Fully agree #2
 
Well, I recently have been getting incredibly consistent thin micas.
But if now and then I get a thicker one, I save it in a little separate bag ... which I keep in the larger "bulk" bag anyway.
Whenever I have 20 or 30 (or more) "thick" ones, whenever I am bored doing nothing , as in waiting for my coffee to brew, I split them in half.
Easy to do once you practice a little.
A few (very few thanks God) split unevenly , meaning a thicker half and a too thin one, which sometimes cracks.
To the junkbin it goes.
 
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