Partnership combines silicone and carbon nanotubes for thermal management innovation

Dow and Carbice, developer of carbon nanotube (CNT) technology, have announced a strategic partnership to provide a multi-generational thermal interface material (TIM) product offering for high-performing electronics in the mobility, industrial, and consumer industries, as well as semiconductors. The collaboration, revealed at The Battery Show North America, combines Dow's decades-long legacy in silicones with Carbice's patented CNT technology to offer novel thermal management products. This collaboration will meet the rising demand for reliability in the expanding thermal interface market with innovative pad solutions for e-mobility and electronics applications.

“Launching this partnership at the show reinforces Dow’s MobilityScience commitment to driving the future of mobility through cutting-edge material science. By leveraging our application know-how, our expertise in material science, and collaborating with industry leaders like Carbice, we are committed to advancing the performance and reliability of EVs,” says Jon Penrice, president of Dow Mobility.

“Heat poses a significant threat to electronics, which makes selecting the right TIM crucial in the design process,” states Jeroen Bello, Dow Global Marketing senior director, MobilityScience – Performance Silicones. “Partnering with Carbice enables us to enhance our service to customers by offering thermal management solutions through the combined use of liquid silicones and solid pads. This is a uniquely advantageous collaboration within the industry. We look forward to jointly setting new performance and reliability benchmarks for electronic applications.”

Silicone and CNTs individually offer thermal management benefits, but together they offer even more. The wetting capabilities and precise dispensing of Dow silicones combined with the versatility and durability of Carbice CNTs creates an interface contact that lowers all modes of stress transfer for reliable solutions, allowing them to operate in a wide range of environments. By leveraging Carbice’s CNT technical and modeling expertise with Dow’s material science knowledge, customers can utilize thermal management materials tailored to their applications with the thinnest bondlines to reduce interface stress.

Collaboration from the initial design phase will allow customers to tap into comprehensive modeling capabilities efficiently, guaranteeing access to more predictable outcomes. This approach not only will provide for more cost-effective design optimization, but it will also enable more efficient manufacturing processes, especially in targeted applications. Additionally, ongoing joint R&D will support continuous delivery of liquid and solid thermal management technologies.

“Whether it's an EV battery or a GPU in a mobile device, electronics need to withstand a wide range of complex operating environments without overheating,” says Baratunde Cola, CEO and founder at Carbice. “Our partnership with Dow allows us to combine our high-performance, easy-to-use thermal interface solutions with their silicone technologies to yield durable, tailored, and cost-effective solutions that can be relied on regardless of the temperature or moisture levels within their environment. This partnership reflects another stride in our mission to supply critical components to the world’s most important applications at scale, creating a world where solid pads you can trust function as the backbone of every electronics’ cooling system.”