Kafuty Non name Aluminum Radiator 120 mm
Since aluminum does not fit directly into the scheme with copper and brass, but it is currently the only aluminum radiator in the test, I’ll just put it at the end today. Nevertheless, it is quite interesting.
You can do without the advertising, even if the description on Amazon looks like comedy. I’ll leave that uncommented for now and let the beauty apparatus have its effect. It’s got something!
Pre-chamber, inlet and perpendicular
Let’s be surprised and open this radiator again at the pre-chamber (tank). The soldering points of the cooling channels are only slightly oxidized and the soldering quality is at least visually good. However, the paint residue on the surface looks a little unsightly.
However, soldering aluminum places completely different demands on the solder and the soldering process. Aluminum solder with potassium and fluoride (see analysis below) is a special type of solder developed for soldering aluminum and aluminum alloys. This alloy is characterized by its ability to effectively bond aluminium, which is a challenge for conventional soldering processes due to its high tendency to oxidize and the associated formation of a protective oxide layer.
Aluminum is the main component of the alloy and forms the basis for the solder. In the measurement, the proportion would continue to increase with depth and then become the main component. Potassium is used here as an activator and flux. It helps to remove the oxide layer on the surface of the aluminum during the soldering process, which enables improved wetting and good adhesion of the solder. Fluoride is additionally used as a flux and it helps to clean the surface of the aluminum and promote the formation of a strong metallurgical bond between the solder and the aluminum substrate.
The alloy also has a low melting temperature, which is below the melting temperature of the aluminum to be soldered. This enables the soldering of aluminum without excessive heating, which could damage the material. By using aluminum solder with potassium and fluoride, therefore, stable and resilient solder joints can be produced that have high strength and are able to withstand the stresses and strains to which they are subjected during their use in the radiator and they also provide a degree of protection against corrosion (chemical reactivity).
The walls of the pre-chamber are also without complaint because it is pure aluminum. There are no traces of the flux anywhere, so it has been thoroughly rinsed, after all.
The inserts are also made of aluminum and the same solder is used as for the channels.
Cooling channels and cooling fins
Now we come to the cooling channels and the fins soldered to them. If you cut the whole thing open, the usual picture emerges and you can see the usual slotted fins with color pigments.
The cooling channels are made of aluminum, what else?
The cooling fins are made of aluminum and are relatively thick. This is not ideal in terms of performance.
Frame and screws
The frame is made of the same aluminum, or rather it’s all one piece anyway, so I won’t bother with all the other pictures. The screws, on the other hand, are only made of non-alloy, galvanized steel. But since you screw into softer aluminum, they will hold.
Summary and interim conclusion
The build quality of this noname product was surprisingly good. Of course, the performance here is at a significantly lower level than that of copper or brass radiators, which cannot and should not be compared. But in the end, the price is only half the price, often only a third. The part was still better than expected for its material and technical limitations. But you can only use something like this in pure aluminum circuits, otherwise the corrosion will have a wild party. I don’t really like that.
| Assembly | Manufacturer’s specification | Material testing |
| Pre-chamber / Terminal | Aluminum | Aluminum (100% Al) |
| Threaded inserts G1/4 | n.a. | Aluminum (100% Al) |
| Channels/tubes | Aluminum (100% Al) | Aluminum (100% Al) |
| Solder used | n.a. | Potassium fluoride alloy (varying proportions) |
| Cooling fins | Aluminum | Aluminum (100% Al) |
| Frame / side panel | – | Aluminum (100% Al) |
| Screws | – | Galvanized steel (100% Fe) |
| Other accessories | – | – |
| RoHS shown on box | RoHS is available | |
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