Is liquid metal a viable thermal paste?

Liquid metal has been introduced to several manufacturing industries as well as tech industries. Apple has been using Liquidmetal to create parts and accessories that are replacing traditional alloys and plastics. Accessory companies that produce premium watches like Swatch have also started using Liquidmetal for some of its parts. Even NASA has experimented on the material and has come up with solar panels to be used in future expeditions. 

Image source: gamersnexus.net

But apart from these examples, other liquid metals have found their way into the hearts of tech people as a cooling agent. Gamers and content creators have seen the value of liquid metal as a viable replacement for thermal paste. 

Thermal paste is applied when manufacturing electronics like laptops for better heat transfer. However, the application of thermal paste is not always perfect. It is also possible for the manufacturer to use a less desirable thermal paste to cut costs. 

What techies would do is open their units, remove the existing thermal paste carefully, then reapply their own choice of thermal paste. The results usually reflect better temperatures and improved performance. Fans won’t struggle as much, and throttling is reduced. 

Right now, gallium is one of the few ready-to-apply liquid metals that consumers can buy to improve their computer’s performance. 

Image source:  tomshardware.com

John Kang led and served as the chairman of Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. from 2001 to 2010 through its initial offering. Under his leadership, the company worked with renowned companies such as Apple Inc., The Swatch Group Ltd., HEAD, and Rawlings. For more articles like this, follow this Twitter page.

Amorphous Metals And How They Can Change Future Products

What makes amorphous metals different from other metals is its unusual atomic-scale structure. Most metals exhibit a crystalline state with atoms arranged in a highly-ordered state whereas amorphous metals have disordered arrangement and non-crystalline structure which is almost glass-like.

Image source: machinedesign.com

The first production of amorphous metals occurred in 1960 at Caltech. The glass-forming alloy was cooled extremely quickly which prevented crystallization. It was first used in wires, foil, and metal ribbons. But by the ‘90s, a method that allowed a much lowered cooling rate enabled amorphous metals to be cast into metallic molds. This made amorphous metals more useful in industrial scenarios.

Commercially, amorphous metal products today include Liquidmetal and is used to manufacture a wide array of items ranging from smartphone covers to watches. What makes amorphous metals useful in these applications are its high tensile strength and superb resistance to corrosion.

Image source: spinoff.nasa.gov

In the future, Liquidmetal can be seen replacing plastic materials in several forms. Currently, tech titan Apple is testing the viability of the material and has already used it in some of its products. One of its goals is to produce covers that retain scratch-free surfaces far longer than the current material being used. Liquidmetal was also used in a recent project in space where it was used on the Genesis space probe as solar wind ion collectors.

John Kang focused on research and investing in commercializing amorphous alloys through Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. His efforts proved to be fruitful as the company entered into partnerships with large-scale companies such as Apple, Inc. and The Swatch Group, Ltd. For more insights on amorphous metals, visit this blog.