3M Boron Nitride Cooling Fillers

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3M™ Boron Nitride Cooling Fillers take thermal management to the next level

Another dimension for plastic compounds

3M™ Boron Nitride Cooling Fillers (3M BN cooling fillers) increase the thermal conductivity of resin compound formulas. Even in small quantities, 3M BN cooling fillers can increase the thermal conductivity of finished components by 50 to 100%. But that’s just the start. 3M BN cooling fillers are also electrically insulating. They can withstand the pressures and temperatures of injection molding. And, because they can be added without significantly altering volume loadings, they can boost the thermal conductivity of existing compounds, help reduce filler usage and potentially lower compound costs. These capabilities mean much more than just thermal efficiency. They enable much broader uses for plastic resin-based parts – and ideal solutions for industries such as communications infrastructure and automotive OEM where light weight, electrical insulation and controlled viscosity are important.

3M BN cooling fillers can be used for :

Thermosets (Acrylic, epoxy, PU) – Adhesives, greases, heat spreaders, injection molded parts, potting resins, insulation foils, TIMs)
Elastomers (TPE, TPU, silicone, acrylate) – Adhesives, greases, gap fillers, TIMs (foils and pads)
Thermoplastics (PA, PC, PPS, PET) – Housings, LED sockets, insulation foils, injection molded parts

View why 3M Boron Nitride Cooling Fillers are more effective vs. other thermally conductive filler materials (PDF, 292 KB)

Thermal conductivity

With a material thermal conductivity of 400 W/m·K in plane, 3M BN cooling fillers can boost the thermal conductivity of polymers by 2-8x compared to alumina fillers.
Electrical insulation

3M BN cooling fillers provide >10¹⁵ Ohm·cm electrical resistivity with a high breakdown strength.
Processability

As 3M BN cooling fillers are among the least abrasive fillers used in plastic compounds, they can help minimize equipment wear and may help extend equipment life. They are available in multiple grades for excellent viscosity control.
Lightweight

3M BN cooling fillers are lightweight (2.25 g/cm³ density) can enable compound densities of 1.2 – 1.6 g/cm³.

Better together: Using 3M BN cooling fillers as a booster for more thermally conductive compounds

3M BN cooling fillers are compatible with many other fillers. This makes them excellent as a secondary filler to “boost” the isotropic thermal conductivity of finished materials. Consider the compound shown here, containing 40% aluminosilicate filler. Simply by reducing aluminosilicate to 30% and adding 10% of 3M BN CF, the thermal conductivity of the compound goes up by 50-100% - without altering overall filler volume loadings and without significantly affecting other performance factors in finished parts.

Learn more about boosting with 3M™ Boron Nitride cooling fillers (PDF, 98.7 KB)

Types of 3M™ Boron Nitride cooling fillers

3M BN cooling fillers are available in platelets, flakes and agglomerates. Compounders can choose these types to tailor the in-plane and through-plane heat distribution of finished parts.

Platelets

3M BN cooling filler platelets are excellent for higher in-plane thermal conductivity. They create relatively simple, direct heat paths that spread heat across the plane surface.
Flakes

3M BN cooling filler flakes help strike a balance of in-plane and through-plane conductivity. They contain platelets which more randomly oriented vs. when used by themselves. Flakes are also ideal for boosting.
Agglomerates

3M BN cooling filler agglomerates deliver very high through-plane conductivity to compounds and parts. They contain platelets which are randomly oriented, creating isotropic thermal conductivity within the polymer for excellent heat dissipation.