Thermal Management with Keratherm® Thermal Pastes

Thermal Management with Keratherm® Thermal Pastes

With the increase in power densities and component miniaturization, thermal management has become one of the most critical aspects of electronic design. Without effective heat dissipation, higher component temperatures can lead to premature failure, reduced reliability, or complete system shutdowns. That’s where thermal interface materials (TIMs) like thermal pastes come into play.

KERAFOL®, a leader in thermal management solutions, offers a full range of high-performance thermal pastes under its Keratherm® product line. These non-curing, one-component materials offer excellent thermal conductivity with extremely low bond line thickness—allowing for efficient and reliable heat transfer even under demanding conditions.

What are Thermal Pastes

Thermal pastes are soft, thermally conductive compounds—usually silicone-based—that fill the microscopic air gaps between heat sources (like CPUs or power semiconductors) and heat sinks or other cooling elements. With bond line thicknesses under 25 µm and special fillers to enhance conductivity, Keratherm® pastes provide minimal thermal resistance and outstanding heat dissipation.

thermal paste

For applications where silicone is not suitable, KERAFOL also offers silicone-free options that deliver the same level of performance and ease of application.

Keratherm® KP Thermal Paste Lineup

Here’s a breakdown of Kerafol’s most popular thermal grease products:

KP97 & KP98 – Cost-Effective Silicone Based Solutions

  • Good price-to-performance ratio
  • Easy to apply
  • Low bond line thickness
  • Available in multiple packaging formats

KP99 – Premium Thermal Conductivity

  • Very high thermal conductivity
  • Ideal for high-power applications
  • Silicone-based and easy to apply
  • Maintains ultra-thin bond lines for efficient heat transfer

KP12 & KP14 – Silicone Free Alternatives

  • Outstanding thermal performance without silicone
  • KP12 features low viscosity for easy dispensing
  • KP14 offers high material stability under mechanical and thermal stress
  • Compatible with sensitive electronics where silicone must be avoided
Keratherm® syringe
Different containers of Keratherm® thermal pastes

Key Advantages of Keratherm® Thermal Pastes

  • High thermal conductivity (up to 10.0 W/mK)
  • Low thermal resistance
  • Layer thickness as low as 25 µm
  • Available in syringes, cartridges, cans, and hobbocks
  • Compatible with both manual and automated applications (dispensing or screen printing)
  • Made in Germany for consistent quality and performance

Application and Packaging Options

Keratherm® pastes can be applied using:

  • Manual syringes
  • Euro or Semco cartridges (75 ml to 360 ml)
  • Industrial cans or hobbocks (up to 34.5 kg)
  • Dispensing systems or screen printing

This versatility makes them ideal for both prototype work and high-volume production.

Various Keratherm® pastes

How Do Thermal Pastes Compare to Other TIMs?

Unlike gap fillers or pads, thermal pastes do not cure or harden. This non-crosslinking nature allows them to maintain consistent performance over time. With no need to punch or cut shapes, pastes reduce material waste and are often more cost-effective—especially for custom or complex designs.

While thermal pastes typically aren’t electrically insulating, their thermal performance and application flexibility make them a go-to solution in many high-power electronic applications.

Contact Us!

Whether you need the high conductivity of KP99 or a silicone-free solution like KP12, Hill Technical Sales is here to help you navigate the options and choose the best material for your application.

Visit our website and submit a quote at https://hill-tech.com/, contact us at 847-255-4400, fax us at (847) 255-0192, or email us at sales@hilltech.com. And be sure to look at our social media pages, linked below!

Hill Technical Sales provides expert design and implementation of quality components for Electrical Power Conversion & Distribution, Thermal Management, UV Curing, and High-Speed Industrial Imaging for more information:

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ECCE 2025 Conference

HVR's 2024 booth from last year's ECCE
HVR’s Booth from ECCE 2024

ECCE 2025 is happening at the Pennsylvania Convention Center this year in Philadelphia! Hill Technical Sales will be there October 20 & 21, and we’ll be joining our friends over at HVR at Booth 121.

At HVR’s table at the ECCE 2025, you will find that they offer very cost-effective, high voltage, and high energy resistors. They are phenomenal at handling high-stress, pre-charge, and discharge applications. They have everything from ceramic composite resistors from our U-series, C-series, and RT/RL series. They also have tubes, discs, and wound resistors. These wound resistors use wire or tape constructions, along with their SiC varistors.

HVR's 2024 booth from last year's ECCE with a guest at their table

HVR’s team is ready for your customization requests and can help you with finding the perfect specifications for your project.

ECCE 2025 Details

Contact Us!

Talk to us at the RE+ 2025, but also check out how you can connect with us online! Visit our website and submit a quote at https://hill-tech.com/, contact us at 847-255-4400, fax us at (847) 255-0192, or email us at sales@hilltech.com. And be sure to look at our social media pages, linked below!

Hill Technical Sales provides expert design and implementation of quality components for Electrical Power Conversion & Distribution, Thermal Management, UV Curing, and High-Speed Industrial Imaging for more information:

Connect with us:              

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The Battery Show 2025

Huntington Place Exterior
Huntington Place, The Battery Show’s location

Guess who’s going to The Battery Show 2025 this year? That’s right, Hill Technical Sales will be there October 6-9 at the Huntington Place in Detroit, MI. And we’re not the only ones: HVR, Durkaool, and Proterial will be joining us!

Who’s Going?

HVR (Booth 5713)

Looking for customizable ceramic composite resistors that are high-energy, cost effective, and designed for high stress applications? HVR has got your back. They have PC mountable U-series, high voltage C-series, RT/RL series, and wire wound resistors! Disc and tube variants are also offered for ultra-high energy solutions. In addition, they also specialize in SIC varistors.

HVR will be at The Battery Show 2025

Durakool (Booth 5845)

Durakool creates high voltage DC contactors, low and high voltage DC relays for switching, PCB and HVDC relays, along with pre-charge circuit solutions. Their products are optimized and reliable- made perfectly for safe switching. They will provide you with exceptional custom technical advice to make sure you have exactly what you need for your project.

Durakool will be at The Battery Show 2025

Proterial (Booth 3315)

Proterial offers an array of ultra-low loss amorphous cores to use for DC inductors, as well as nanocrystalline cores perfect for high-frequency transformers. Their nanocrystalline cores come in different permeabilities for common mode applications. They perform well even in high temperature situations and have reliable magnetic properties. Proterial also has nanocrystalline sheet materials that are made to handle low-frequency magnetic and EMI noise. Their weight-to-noise suppression ratio is fantastic.

The Battery Show 2025 Details

Contact Us!

Visit us at The Battery Show 2025! Let’s get you set up with the tech components you need! Be sure to contact us online too. Visit our website and submit a quote at https://hill-tech.com/, contact us at 847-255-4400, fax us at (847) 255-0192, or email us at sales@hilltech.com. And be sure to look at our social media pages, linked below!

Hill Technical Sales provides expert design and implementation of quality components for Electrical Power Conversion & Distribution, Thermal Management, UV Curing, and High-Speed Industrial Imaging for more information:

Connect with us:              

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Hill Technical Sales at RE+ 2025

Siba hill tech booth at RE+ 2024
Our Siba-Hill Tech crew from RE+ 2024! Hill Tech salesman, Andy Hill, pictured in blue on the far-left side.

Hill Technical Sales is heading back to RE+ 2025, happening September 8-11! Join us at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center and Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV. We’ll be there with Siba Fuses at the Venetian Level 2 at Booth V7337.

Siba Fuses

Siba Fuses offers protective solutions for photovoltaic systems with voltage ratings between 600 and 1500 VDC, using their class gPV and gFP fuses. For electric vehicle charging infrastructure and inverters, SIBA provides compact, ultra-rapid AC and pure DC fuses. If your application requires medium voltage solutions, SIBA also has a comprehensive range of MV fuses. Renowned worldwide for their quality fuses and fuse accessories, SIBA is committed to delivering reliable protection for a variety of applications.

left side of Siba booth at RE+ 2024
right side of Siba booth at RE+ 2024

Be sure to ask about their reliable and innovative URDC-ES fuses. These fuses are designed for voltages of up to 2500 VDC and are specifically tailored to handle the high kA and L/R time constants of 3ms or less in class aR, gR, and gRL (gS). This is essential for safeguarding batteries and energy storage systems.

Siba’s team is here to provide valuable insight and guidance for your project! Don’t miss talking with them at the convention!

RE+ 25 Details

Contact Us!

Talk to us at the RE+ 2025, but also check out how you can connect with us online! Visit our website and submit a quote at https://hill-tech.com/, contact us at 847-255-4400, fax us at (847) 255-0192, or email us at sales@hilltech.com. And be sure to look at our social media pages, linked below!

Hill Technical Sales provides expert design and implementation of quality components for Electrical Power Conversion & Distribution, Thermal Management, UV Curing, and High-Speed Industrial Imaging for more information:

Connect with us:              

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Solving the Hidden Cause of Toroidal Transformer Failure

Field issues are rare, and when they happen it seems like they come out of nowhere. You look into the matter and find out the problem was with something as simple as a mounting bolt. We at Hill Tech have been examining these issues and providing solutions to keep assemblies and configurations running smoothly without easily avoidable hiccups. Today, we’re examining commonly looked over installation issues with toroidal transformer set ups.

standard toroidal transformer

Types of Toroidal Transformer Failures

We recently had a situation that involved toroidal transformer failures, and at first it seemed as if the malfunction was happening at random. When we looked closer, we found that the problem was linked to excessive torque being applied to the center bolt during its assembly.

When using disc-style mounting hardware to install toroidal transformers, it is essential to apply the correct amount of torque. We’ve seen issues arise whenever the installer unintentionally over-tightens the center bolt, especially in designs where the primary winding is made from a thinner gauge wire than the secondary one. With this added pressure, the internal windings can become too compressed. This leads to installation breakdown and, ultimately, a short in the primary.

What makes this especially difficult is that these issues are hard to find. They can start and build up in ways that are easy to miss. The problems might only reveal themselves when the unit is in operation. And these invisible difficulties can create catastrophic problems: if the primary fuse isn’t fast enough to blow, the insulation could completely melt down, creating a massive disaster.

low profile pc mount toroidal transformer
toroidal power inductor

Let Us Help

We at Hill Tech want to avoid invisible issues that build up like this. That’s why we aim to do more than just supply components- we want to inform about best practices, too.

To prevent toroidal transformer failure, we provide them pre-marked with the recommended torque specifications. We can even label the mounting plate with a clearly visible “Do Not Exceed” torque rating. Simple preventative measures can make a massive long-term difference.

If you’re assembling toroidal transformers and want to make sure you’re maintaining precision and care, let us help! We’ll get you set up with the right components and supply options for your design and assembly process.

Contact Us!

Let’s get you set up with the reliable system you need! Contact us today! Visit our website and submit a quote at https://hill-tech.com/, contact us at 847-255-4400, fax us at (847) 255-0192, or email us at sales@hilltech.com. And be sure to look at our social media pages, linked below!

Hill Technical Sales provides expert design and implementation of quality components for Electrical Power Conversion & Distribution, Thermal Management, UV Curing, and High-Speed Industrial Imaging for more information:

Connect with us:              

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