The TLC-100™ is a Thermochromic Liquid Crystal kit designed for heat transfer studies and mapping temperature fields on electronic components or boards. The TLC-100™ features thermochromic liquid crystals (TLCs) which change color at a specified temperature starting at red, changing to green then blue. For electronics cooling applications, this provides the user accurate information about the location of hot spots on a device, their temperature and temperature gradient.
To map the temperature profile of a component or board, black ink is airbrushed on to the specimen. Then, TLCs with a particular temperature range (depending on the application), are sprayed onto the measurement surface. Once the device is turned on and the components are brought to activation temperature, the liquid crystals will begin turning red, then into different colors, representing the temperature distribution of the component or board.
Thermochromic liquid crystals are available in a variety of temperature ranges from 20°C to 120°C, each one with a particular bandwidth from 1°C to 20°C.
Black ink and TLCs are non-destructive and wash off with the aid of soap and water.