Why choose aluminum as the heat sink of LED lamps？
By Amy Topsun lighting
Except for some special lamps, most LED lamps choose aluminum as the heat sink.
The primary reasons for using aluminum for LED lamp heat sinks include its excellent thermal conductivity, light weight and high strength, good machinability, corrosion resistance, and recyclability.
First, the reason for heat conduction and heat dissipation.
LED light sources generate a significant amount of heat during operation, and this heat must be dissipated promptly. If the heat of the lamp body is too high and cannot be dissipated, the junction temperature of the LED lamp will be too high, which will affect the brightness and service life of the light-emitting diode chip. Aluminum has a high thermal conductivity coefficient, which can effectively conduct the heat generated by the LED lamp to the surface of the lamp body and dissipate it, thereby ensuring that the junction temperature of the LED lamp is not too high, which can greatly extend the service life of the LED light source. The thermal conductivity of aluminum is second only to silver, copper, and gold, but the price of aluminum has an absolute advantage, and the thermal conductivity and heat dissipation effect of stainless steel are much worse than that of aluminum. Through testing, the thermal conductivity of aluminum is 238 W/(m · K), and the thermal conductivity of stainless steel is 15.2 W/(m · K). The thermal conductivity of aluminum is more than ten times that of stainless steel, which makes aluminum an ideal material for heat sinks.
Second, the reasons of strength and weight. Aluminum is lightweight and high-strength.
The density of aluminum is approximately 2.7 g/cm³, which is one-third that of iron or copper, making the lamp lighter and easier to install and carry. At the same time, after cold processing or heat treatment, the strength of aluminum is further improved, which can meet the heat dissipation needs of high-power LED lamps.
Third, aluminum can also have good corrosion resistance through surface treatment.
After undergoing surface anti-corrosion treatment, aluminum exhibits excellent oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance, which effectively resists the erosion of corrosive substances such as acids and alkalis, thereby maintaining the lamp body's strength and durability. It significantly enhances the service life of aluminum profile heat sinks, particularly in outdoor and harsh environments.
Fourth, aluminum has good machinability.
According to different lighting design requirements and lighting needs, LED lamps have various appearance requirements, such as various shapes of LED downlights, LED track lights, LED linear lights, LED wall lamp, etc., especially CNC processing, which can accurately produce various shapes, thicknesses and spacings of heat dissipation fins, further improving the heat dissipation effect. Compared with stainless steel, aluminum is softer, easier to cut and shape, and can be made into different shapes. Stainless steel is too hard, making it difficult to form, produce, and process.
Fifth, aluminum is easily recyclable and reusable, meeting environmental protection requirements and reducing the consumption of natural resources.
Aluminum has good machinability. Aluminum can be customized through extrusion, cutting, milling, and other processes to meet the heat dissipation requirements of different LED lamps.
Sixth, lower cost.
Compared with stainless steel and other metal materials, aluminum has a lower cost. For manufacturers, using aluminum is more cost-effective while ensuring optimal product performance. Iron is inexpensive, but it is prone to rust and corrosion.
Of course, there are other special cases. For example,
Most LED bedside wall lamps use iron as a radiator. Because the wall lamp has low power, its wattage is usually less than 10W, resulting in low heat, which makes it suitable for indoor use. Iron can also be customized through extrusion, cutting, milling, and other processes to meet the needs of different LED lamps.
LED underground lamps are composed of aluminum radiators and surface stainless steel.
As an LED lighting factory, we often customize LED lamps with various functions to meet the specific needs of our customers, thereby fulfilling both market demand and lamp usage requirements.
