thermal paste
5 synonyms for thermal paste, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A thick grey or white compound spread in a thin layer between a processor and its cooler, filling the microscopic gaps between the two surfaces so that heat passes into the cooler more readily than it would through the trapped air.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
thermal compound
thermal grease
thermal interface material
heatsink compound
How to use thermal paste
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
apply thermal paste
reapply thermal paste
a pea of thermal paste
thermal paste syringe
Standard in hardware building and repair. Uncountable; say a tube of thermal paste.
Etymology
From thermal, relating to heat, plus paste.
Full origin of thermal paste →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between thermal paste and thermal pads?
Both bridge the gap between a hot component and its cooler. Paste is a compound applied as a thin layer and conforms to the surfaces exactly, while a pad is a pre-cut sheet of soft solid material that is easier to fit and useful where the gap is thicker or uneven.
Why is thermal paste needed at all if both surfaces look flat?
Even polished metal is microscopically rough, so two flat faces pressed together still trap tiny pockets of air, and air conducts heat very poorly. The paste fills those pockets with a material that carries heat far better.
Does thermal paste dry out?
Compounds can stiffen or separate over years of heat cycling, and temperatures then creep upwards. How quickly this happens varies widely by formulation and by how hard the machine is worked.
