Compare with other materials
Osprey® CE alloys offer many advantages compared to most competitive materials. For example, CE alloys are lighter and have controlled expansion coefficients at any preselected value in the range 5 to 17 ppm/°C.
Below you find comparisons with other materials used in various thermal management and packaging applications.
| Competitive materials | Osprey® CE alloys |
|---|---|
| Aluminium alloys (e.g. 6061) | Osprey® CE17F is 5% lighter, 30% stiffer and has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than 6061 Al alloy, similar to many laminate board materials (e.g. FR4). Osprey® CE17F is also less prone to burring. |
| Aluminium- silicon-carbide (AlSiC) | Osprey® CE7F and CE9F do not require mould tools, thus prototypes can be delivered quickly and with much lower setting-up costs. Osprey® CE7F/CE9F are readily machinable and plateable. |
| Beryllium-beryllium oxide (Be-BeO) | Osprey® CE alloys are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. |
| Copper | Osprey® CE17F is 1/4 the weight, stronger and easier to machine. |
| Copper-85% tungsten (CuW) | Osprey® CE7F uses significantly lower-cost raw materials and is 1/6 the density. |
| Copper-85% molybdenum (CuMo) | Osprey® CE7F uses significantly lower cost raw materials and is 1/4 the density. |
| Kovar* (FeNiCo) | Osprey® CE7F and CE9F housings are comparable in price but are 1/3 the density and have 6–9 x thermal conductivity, eliminating the need for heat sinks. Osprey® CE7F/CE9F do not normally require heat treating and do not burr. |
| Steel | Osprey® CE13F/CE11F have similar CTEs but are 1/3 the density. |
| Titanium | Osprey® CE9F or CE11F are 1/2 the density and have 6x the thermal conductivity. |
*Kovar is a trademark of CRS Holding.
Comparison tables
Thermal and mechanical properties
Thermal and mechanical properties
| Alloy | CTE, ppm/ºC | Thermal, W/mK | Density, g/cc | Modulus, GPa | Yield, MPa |
| Al6061 | 22.6 | 210 | 2.7 | 70 | 140 |
| Al graphite | 7.5/23 | 190 | 2.5 | 89 | 160 |
| Al Sic | 6.8 | 170 | 3.0 | 290 | 450 |
| Copper | 16 | 385 | 8.9 | 110 | 33 |
| Cu-4CuMo-Cu | 8.0-10.0 | 170 | 10.0 | 195 | 630 |
| Cu 85% Mo | 6.8 | 165 | 10.0 | 310 | 1000 |
| Cu 85% W | 6.8 | 180 | 16.4 | 360 | 1150 |
| Kovar* | 6.0 | 15 | 8.4 | 131 | 345 |
| Molybdenum | 5.2 | 140 | 10.2 | 330 | 415 |
| Osprey® CE7F | 7.2 | 120 | 2.5 | 125 | 110 |
| Osprey® CE11F | 11.0 | 150 | 2.55 | 110 | 150 |
| Osprey® CE17F | 16.0 | 150 | 2.6 | 92 | 150 |
| Steel | 12.2 | 52 | 7.8 | 200 | 180 |
| Titanium | 8.9 | 17 | 4.5 | 116 | 140 |
*Kovar is a trademark of CRS Holding.
Processing properties
Processing properties
| Alloy | Plateability | Machining | Welding | Forming |
| Al6061 | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Al graphite | Poor | Good | Poor | Good |
| Al SiC | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Copper | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Cu-4CuMo-Cu | Fair | Poor | Poor | Fair |
| Cu 85% Mo | Fair | Fair | Poor | Poor |
| Cu 85% W | Fair | Fair | Poor | Poor |
| Molybdenum | Fair | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Kovar* | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Osprey® CE7F | Good | Fair | Poor | Poor |
| Osprey® CE11F | Good | Good | Good | Poor |
| Osprey® CE17F | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Steel | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Titanium | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |