Development and Processing of Novel Aluminum Powder Metallurgy Materials for Heat Sink Applications

The objective of this research was to design aluminum powder metallurgy (PM) alloys and processing strategies that yielded sintered products with thermal properties that rivaled those of the cast and wrought aluminum alloys traditionally employed in heat sink manufacturing. Research has emphasized PM alloys within the Al-Mg-Sn system. In one sub-theme of research, the general processing response of each PM alloy was investigated through a combination of sintering trials, sintered density measurements, and microstructural assessments. In the second, the thermal properties of sintered products were studied in detail. Thermal conductivity was first determined using a calculated approach through discrete measurements of specific heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, and density and subsequently verified using a transient plane source technique on larger specimens. Experimental PM alloys achieved >99 pct theoretical density and exhibited thermal conductivity that ranged from 179 to 225 W/m K. Thermal performance was largely dominated by the amount of magnesium present within the aluminum grains and, in turn, bulk alloy chemistry. Data confirmed that the novel PM alloys were highly competitive with even the most advanced heat sink materials such as wrought 6063 and 6061.