So, I am correct; the only difference is the quantity?
Then, "IC Diamond's newest Thermal Interface Material; IC Diamond 24!!!!!" is really the same stuff?
It is good TIM, I have no complaint about the performance, but it is rather difficult to spread, and it stains the IHS and heatsink base.
So, I am correct; the only difference is the quantity?
Then, "IC Diamond's newest Thermal Interface Material; IC Diamond 24!!!!!" is really the same stuff?
It is good TIM, I have no complaint about the performance, but it is rather difficult to spread, and it stains the IHS and heatsink base.
ICD24 Is the same mix as the ICD7 - only difference is volume - 4.8 gm is = Carat = .2 grams X 24 = 4.8 We weigh all tubes as filling machine has a tolerance of =/- 5% machine is set to a +10% so there are no under fills.
We strongly discourage manual spreading as our investigations have shown that manual application whips air into the mix and resulting air bubbles
Manual Spread
Same application as above clamped between two glass slides note the white spots these are the initial air bubbles. Again the issue or problems with air bubbles is that air is very difficult to compress and will expand under heat and pressure which will displace the TIM with voids -
This will impact performance and reliability which is why we recommend a Compression spread only Please Review
Application Notes
We recommend cleaning thoroughly with acetone then a final wipe with IP - Most true staining noted was on the copper only due to copper oxidation with some copper bleed to the nickel IHS was due to improper cleaning.
Chemically there is not much there to react with it is Mostly Diamond (92 %) a couple % carbon black, couple % polymeric binders and a drop or two synthetic oil.
Contamination will cause a stain so cleanliness is important.
We always recommend that the sink be cleaned thoroughly also especially when they are new from the factory as some residue from the factory cleaning may remain as we have noted in the past these will react with the polymeric binders and will harden to a rock hard consistency. . It happens infrequently as I have only two examples in the last five years.
Note the halo around the hardened ICD This is a signature of contamination. Manufacturing heat sinks is a dirty process, nickel plating, flux cleaners, multiple washes and minuscule droplets of a industrial cleaner can cause a problem, So good shop practice is clean all with a good solvent before assembly.
Many of the stain pictures I have seen posted have been a misconception as Copper under heat will oxidise at a faster rate but the area in contact with the CPU is under compression and air tight and so does not oxidise and is as shiny as the day it was lapped so the contrast between the naturally oxidised copper and the n-oxidised area is misconstrued as a stain.
The oxidation is only 400 to 600 atoms thick and has no effect on performance and is a cosmetic that is buried from the light of day so I wonder at people preoccupation with it. In any event it can be easily removed for those perfectionists with any thermal compound as most compounds, AS5, Shin Etsu, MX4 etc. contain aluminium oxide (what they make sand paper out of) and are natural lapping compounds, a little dab on a clean cloth and 10 seconds of vigorous polishing and it will be gone.
thanks for the update Andrew gald to see your back to work 
Very awesome of him to do this. 
Quantity of what? The amount of TIM in the tube, or the amount of diamonds in the chemical make up? 
