IC powders

[MarcoP]

One think you all agree is that ashes cannot be breathed because of various airborne particles of heavy and toxic metals. Work with wet ashes and store or dispose in sealed bags. With proper handling, a mask could only help in case of an accident, never let false security prevail. I've learned this from your replies, with our without BeO. Thank you guys.

Marco

 

[archeonist]

I think it is a good idea to bring attention to this topic again. I have collected a good amount of IC chips and I was planning to incinerate them, but I always want to be sure about the hazards I could encounter. The fact that there most likely is BeO in some of the epoxy chips made me decide not to incinerate at all. For an amateur like me it is just to dangerous. I don't see how I could control the dust and fumes. Maybe I just ball mill the chips unincinerated and wet and see what the result is, maybe i'll throw them away.. I'll for sure will stop refining escrap and carry on with karat and plated items. I hope some amateurs read this and think twice about home refining of ic chips..

 

[g_axelsson]

I think it is a good idea to bring attention to this topic again. I have collected a good amount of IC chips and I was planning to incinerate them. I always want to be sure about the hazards I could encounter. The fact that there most likely is BeO in some of the epoxy chips made me decide not to incinerate at all. For an amateur like me it is just to dangerous. I don't see how I could control the dust. Maybe I just ball mill the chips unincinerated and wet and see what the result is, maybe i'll throw them away.. I'll for sure will stop refining escrap and carry on with karat and plated items. I hope some amateurs read this and think twice about home refining of ic chips..

There are no BeO in plastic chips. It would add a highly toxic and expensive component and the only good thing with high heat transfer would be lost by encasing it in plastic.

Göran

 

[archeonist]

Hi Göran,

Yes I read that, but are we 100% sure? Like BGA chips for instance, those can generate a lot of heat. It would make sence that they conduct their heat as fast as possible. But real hard evidence I haven't seen yet I must admit.

Archeonist

 

[g_axelsson]

Yes we are, high power BGA chips uses a copper plate inside the plastic body to transfer heat.

The most common place you will find BeO is in RF transistors and power amplifiers in base station for cellular networks. White ceramic components with thick copper fins sticking out.

If you embed the BeO in plastic then you have cut off the heat transfer path and could as well have used a piece of copper... and that is what is used.

Göran

 

[archeonist]

Yes we are, high power BGA chips uses a copper plate inside the plastic body to transfer heat.

The most common place you will find BeO is in RF transistors and power amplifiers in base station for cellular networks. White ceramic components with thick copper fins sticking out.

If you embed the BeO in plastic then you have cut off the heat transfer path and could as well have used a piece of copper... and that is what is used.

Göran

You mean that the BeO particles, when mixed in epoxy, are no longer connnected to each other wich would decrease the conduction of heat dramatically?

 

[anachronism]

The BeO works as a plate with the external surface area giving off the heat to the outside air. If you're going to encase it in resin then that becomes much less efficient. At that point it's a waste of money using it when copper will do.

Chips that need heat dissipation beyond normal airflow usually have an external heat spreader or heat spreader and fan to take the heat away, and mixing BeO in with the epoxy doesn't seem to be a practical application because as you have mentioned- it's merely particles and not a solid lump.

 

[g_axelsson]

What Jon said. Right on spot!

Copper conducts heat twice as good as BeO, so the only advantage over copper is that BeO is electrically insulating while having a pretty good thermal conductivity. So the BeO is used instead of plastic as an insulator, often bonded to a copper heat spreader.
So if you have a black plastic chip then there is no BeO.

Göran

 

[archeonist]

Göran and anachronism, thank you guys for the clear explanation.! Still I will consider the dust as dangerous like we all should do.