Abstract: A water washable thermally conductive grease useful for thermal coupling of electronic chips and heat sinks in electronic modules comprises a hydrophilic alkylene oxide modified silicone carrier, and up to 90 weight percent of a microparticulate thermally conductive filler. In a preferred embodiment, the thixotropic dielectric composition further comprises an antioxidant and an ionic surfactant to promote wetting/dispersion of the microparticulate filler. The thermally conductive grease is non-corrosive, resistant to shear induced phase destabilization and capable of being washed from module surfaces with aqueous solutions. Substitution of the present hydrophilic based greases for art-recognized solvent washable greases eliminates use of non-aqueous solvents in electronic module processing/reprocessing operations.

Abstract: A water washable thermally conductive grease useful for thermal coupling of electronic chips and heat sinks in electronic modules comprises a hydrophilic liquid polymer carrier, an antioxidant, and up to 90 weight percent of a microparticulate thermally conductive filler. In a preferred embodiment, the thixotropic dielectric composition further comprises an ionic surfactant to promote wetting/dispersion of the microparticulate filler. The thermally conductive grease is non-corrosive, resistant to shear induced phase destabilization and capable of being washed from module surfaces with aqueous solutions. Substitution of the present hydrophilic based greases for art-recognized solvent washable greases eliminates use of non-aqueous solvents in electronic module processing/reprocessing operations.