Industry trends necessitate more concise components with more power. This trend demands the existence of higher-performance materials for protecting assemblies and their properties. Dielectric gel is a form of dielectric insulator suitable for PCBs and power modules and is designed to protect interconnections from environmental elements; as well as provide dielectric isolation.
Gels are extremely soft materials also suitable for thin-layer applications that discover its optimization when one wants to reduce stress from thermal cycling, shock, and vibration on especially delicate components.
Dielectric Gel Characteristics
Typically, dielectric gels are characterized by a sticky surface that naturally sticks to common surfaces without depending on primers. These gels can cross-link at room temperature, can be heat-accelerated, and can even be UV-cross-linked.
Advantages of Protective Gels
Electronics protective gels ensure:
- Protection for interconnections exposed to thermal and mechanical stresses.
- Stability under poor environmental conditions in certain cases even to hydrocarbons and aggressive chemicals.
- No housing damage over a diverse temperature range.
Why Use Silicone-Based Gels?
Silicone materials offer many advantages over urethane and epoxy technologies, such as:
Ultimate protection against mechanical stresses triggered by thermal cycling or thermal expansion coefficients.
- Unmatched protection against shock & vibration.
- High thermal stability for more reliable performance at consistent temperatures between -45°C and 200°C.
- Improved water resistance and higher resistance to chemicals and UV radiation.
- Lower or eliminate special precautions associated with regular safe handling of organic substances.
- Easier industrialization without the necessity of oven drying or exothermic problems.
- No hassle repair when module rework is required.
- A wide array of special functions, targeting multifarious functions like thermal management, or high transparency.
Is A Dielectric Gel & Encapsulant Better for Your Application?
Encapsulants including gels offer multiple advantages, like great dielectric protection, strong seals against external agents, and outstanding thermal stability and stress protection ranging from good to excellent.
Silicones can allow for reducing or eliminating the special handling precautions necessary for organic products in relation to their toxicity.
A wide collection of encapsulants and gels come in a wide variety allowing shorter cycle times or a longer, more controlled flow to match your needs. A typical dielectric insulator comes in many flexible options for room temperature curing or faster heat curing for increased productivity.
However, each material class offers distinct advantages.
Encapsulants
Encapsulants typically fall under three macro categories: standard, primer-less, and special grades.
- Standard encapsulants necessitate a primer if strong adhesion is required for additional protection.
- Primer-less encapsulants stick to multiple surfaces when heated to temperatures over 100°C at the time of crosslinking process.
- Special encapsulants have distinct properties and advantages, for example higher thermal conductivity, high transparency, or adherence with military specifications.
Gels
Offering maximum stress relief, most dielectric gels also present a sticky surface that naturally sticks to common surfaces without having to use a primer. The large variety of gels are organized into four breeds: standard, low temperature, reinforced, and specialty. Product specifications are generally defined by the requirement of the application.
Conclusion
Dielectric gel is ideally suitable for sealing and protecting a range of different electronic devices, especially those having delicate components.
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