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Aluminum alloys or solid aluminum?

W

WarCon

Diamond Member
I was working on my Alpha (putting my clip back in and putting sticky cushions between all the metal parts - planning on putting in some other system later) and I noticed how easy the pins bend, and I noticed the section that I lapped (the little rim next to the copper insert) never really did get shiny even though the scratchs all flatten out. I mean they bent really easy and it started me thinking. Un-alloyed aluminum is a very soft metal. I think most of the other heatsinks in my case the fins are very tough, they break vs bend. Now is this do to tempering and how does tempering affect thermal conductivity, or is this do to using alloyed aluminum for durablity?

BTW alloying aluminum really lowers the thermal conductivity, at least in all the alloys I have seen specs on.

Maybe someone in the know can let me know..........😀
 
Keep in mind that Alpha forges the aluminum part of the heatsink, so they have to pick an alloy that will forge well. Heat-treating the aluminum after forging might make it stronger, but it's not like a CPU heatsink is meant to be a structural anything, it's just there to provide surfaces for the air to pick up heat from.
 
Well actually was asking more for the idea that alloys of aluminum are not as efficient as pure aluminum, unless they are using an alloy like Cusil (Copper-Silver) that actually gains in thermal conductivity, which I doubt or the online metal places would be advertizing it. Not really on strength of the material, not a wear item so they shouldn't be worried about it either. But the pins on my Alpha bent like they weren't hardened very much, which I didn't consider to be a bad thing seeing as how long the Alpha has been one of the best hsf's. And was wondering if their main difference was due to the purity of the aluminum they used.

I am starting to wonder if its as much design (which I know more surface area and ability to channel air is fundamental) as it is the materials that really makes that big a difference.

Would just like to see an advertized "pure" aluminum heatsink or even "pure" copper.
 
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