what material for thermal contact adhesive tape

yellow

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Oct 31, 2002
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Baden.at
... wondering for some time now.
what would be the "best" material for the tape to mount Led-inserts into lights?
everything there usually is aluminium (insert + flashlight),
tape delivered with inserts mostly is copper.

would it be "better" to get an Aluminium tape?
or does that not matter at all?
(I guess any material to have the insert press-fit inside the light is better than without?)
 

KITROBASKIN

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Mar 28, 2013
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Some think adhesive on copper tape is somewhat a thermal barrier. Getting the heat out as efficiently as possible is the goal. Will copper get heat out faster than aluminum in an aluminum body flashlight? Probably a snug fit is more effective than the difference between Cu and Al. I have tried to get the fit so snug that it was near impossible to remove the dropin later, so consider that, right?
 

alpg88

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Apr 19, 2005
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there are sticky silicone pads in a form of a 20mm mcpcb made to glue mcpcb to heatsinks, their heat transfer rate is not as good as copper, or aluminum, but better than air. they are ok for underdriven leds, but for leds driven at full power or overridden, they wont do. in that case you need to use metal shims, copper or aluminum. copper would be a better choice, however the best would be no shims or spacers, but a direct placement on a smooth polished heatsink. with some way of pressing your mcpcb against the sink firmly.
 
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