[SOLVED] Mixing lead with thermal paste?

[mmzf]

According to some articles and posts i see lead is also used in making homemade thermal paste. I bought "HUTIXI Thermal Grease HT-GY260" with thermal conductivity :>2W/mk-k
but for an average quality thermal compound the conductivity should be almost 4W, is it possible to rub pencil in thermal paste to make it absorb/mix lead in it for more effieciency?
because in my city this is the only one affordable thermal paste, others are way too expensive!

 

[jay32267]

It may be good enough as it is.

I would at least try it as is.

Also....I've never heard of lead helping...but I suppose it's possible.

 

[Paperdoc]

First, I think it is a BAD idea to try to alter a commercial product to "improve" it. Your chances of making it WORSE are too high!

Second, a pencil "lead" is NOT the metal called LEAD. It is really just GRAPHITE, a form of carbon, which does NOT have the same thermal condictivity of pure Lead metal OR of some Lead compounds like Lead Oxide (a white powder that may be part of some thermal pastes). In fact, what you may have READ somewhere may have been stories that did NOT use pure Lead metal in any form!

By the way, the term "lead pencil" comes from a few centuries ago when the first simple stick tool for writing on hard surfaces WAS a thin wire of real Lead metal wrapped in a support (often wood). You could make marks (writing) on things because a small amount of the Lead metal would rub off onto the surface, and it had a dull grey appearance. But nobody has used that material for writing implements for a couple centruries!

 

[rubix_1011]

Most thermal compounds work just about the same. I can tell you because I just finished a thermal compound roundup which should be published any day now.

2 major differences being:

normal thermal 'pastes' - easy to apply and cleanup, usually cheaper and multiple applications per tube/syringe
'liquid metals' - more difficult to apply, difficult to cleanup and often much more expensive and fewer applications

Even so, there's maybe 4C difference from the best performing to worst performing that I tested.

Don't go about mixing lead into thermal paste. Mostly because it requires grinding lead into a fine powder, of which, inhaling or absorbing into your skin, eyes, lungs, nose, etc can cause lead poisoning, neuron/brain damage, possibly cancer or death.

The Romans drank from lead cups and their water ran through lead pipes. They often died of lead poisoning and suffered from many of the symptoms listed above.

But yes, pencil 'lead' is graphite, not lead.