Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehertz
Just to re-iterate what I have already said, I do, and it's easy to replace heatsink compound when replacing a power transistor. My point/question is, does heatsink compound lose its efficiency over time, especially a few decades.
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It depends on what type it is. There are oxide compounds and silicon compounds out there. The oxide compounds crack and flake out of the DUT is vibrated. The silicon compounds are actually glass-like and will drip out eventually. They both have a finite lifespan really.
I tend to replace if I’m in stuff. The newer oxide compounds are pretty good and have much better thermal conductivity too. I’ve also found the stuff isn’t necessarily well applied to start with!
Can recommend Arctic Silver MX4 which is about £5 for a reasonable syringe full on amazon. Designed for CPUs but works very very well compared to much more expensive stuff.
I’ve never sanded or polished a surface. The point of the thermal compound is so you don’t have to do that.