Conductive polymer composite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10418146-B2
Application number	US-201615000609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A conductive polymer composite is disclosed. The composite comprises a thermoplastic polymer and a plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes. A method of three dimensional printing using the conductive polymer composite and a filament comprising the conductive polymer composite are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conductive polymer composite, comprising:
a thermoplastic polymer comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polybenzimidazoles, poly(ethylene-co-vinylacetate), poly(styrene isoprene styrene), poly(Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene) (SEBS), polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone;
a plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes, the metal-plated carbon nanotubes are in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite; and
a plurality of conductive metallic flakes comprising silver, the conductive metallic flakes being in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite,
wherein the thermoplastic polymer, metal-plated carbon nanotubes and the plurality of conductive metallic flakes are combined to form a mixture, and
wherein the conductive polymer composite demonstrates an increase in conductivity compared to the same composites made with non-metal plated carbon nanotubes, the conductive polymer composite having a bulk conductivity of 0.6 S/cm to about 200 S/cm, where the conductivity is calculated using the formula α=L/(R*A), based on the measured resistance (R) of an extruded filament made from the composite and having silver painted tips, the filament having a length (L) of 10 cm and a diameter of 1.75 mm.

2. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the at least one polymer is selected from the group consisting of polybenzimidazoles, polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone.

3. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer is in an amount ranging from about 30% to about 99.5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite.

4. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the metal plating of the metal-plated carbon nanotubes comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, nickel, palladium, gold and cobalt.

5. The composite of claim 4 , wherein the metal plating is an alloy comprising the at least one metal.

6. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the metal-plated carbon nanotubes are electrolessly plated carbon nanotubes.

7. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the metal-plated carbon nanotubes are in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite.

8. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the conductive metallic flakes comprise silver.

9. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the conductive metallic flakes are in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite.

10. The composite of claim 1 , further comprising at least one carrier liquid, the composite being in the form of a paste.

11. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite has less than 5% liquid carrier.

12. The conductive polymer composite of claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer composite consists of the thermoplastic polymer, the plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes, the plurality of conductive metallic flakes, optionally a carrier liquid, optionally a plasticizer, optionally a dispersant and optionally a surfactant.

13. The conductive polymer composite of claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer composite consists essentially of the thermoplastic polymer, the plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes, the plurality of conductive metallic flakes, optionally a carrier liquid, optionally a plasticizer, optionally a dispersant and optionally a surfactant.

14. The conductive polymer composite of claim 1 , wherein the metal-plated carbon nanotubes are in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite, the metal plating of the metal-plated carbon nanotubes comprising silver, and the plurality of conductive metallic flakes comprise silver and are in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite.

15. A conductive polymer composite filament, comprising:
a thermoplastic polymer comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polybenzimidazoles, poly(ethylene-co-vinylacetate), poly(styrene isoprene styrene), poly(Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene) (SEBS), polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone;
a plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes, the metal-plated carbon nanotubes are in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite; and
a plurality of conductive metallic flakes comprising silver, the conductive metallic flakes being in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the conductive polymer composite,
wherein the thermoplastic polymer, metal-plated carbon nanotubes and the plurality of conductive metallic flakes are combined to form a mixture,
wherein the conductive polymer composite demonstrates an increase in conductivity compared to the same composites made with non-metal plated carbon nanotubes, the conductive polymer composite having a bulk conductivity of 0.6 S/cm to about 200 S/cm, where the conductivity is calculated using the formula σ=L/(R*A), based on the measured resistance (R) of an extruded filament made from the composite and having silver painted tips, the filament having a length (L) of 10 cm and a diameter of 1.75 mm.

16. The conductive polymer composite filament of claim 15 , wherein the metal plating of the metal-plated carbon nanotubes comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, nickel, palladium, gold and cobalt.

17. The conductive polymer composite filament of claim 15 , wherein the conductive polymer composite consists of the thermoplastic polymer, the plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes, the plurality of conductive metallic flakes, optionally a carrier liquid, optionally a plasticizer, optionally a dispersant and optionally a surfactant.

18. The conductive polymer composite filament of claim 15 , wherein the conductive polymer composite consists essentially of the thermoplastic polymer, the plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes, the plurality of conductive metallic flakes, optionally a carrier liquid, optionally a plasticizer, optionally a dispersant and optionally a surfactant.

19. A method of three dimensional printing, the method comprising:
providing a composite to a three-dimensional printer, the composite comprising a thermoplastic polymer, a plurality of metal-plated carbon nanotubes and a plurality of conductive metallic flakes, the thermoplastic polymer comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polybenzimidazoles, poly(ethylene-co-vinylacetate), poly(styrene isoprene styrene), poly(Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene) (SEBS), polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone, wherein the thermoplastic polymer, metal-plated carbon nanotubes and the plurality of conductive metallic flakes are combined to form a mixture;
heating the composite; and
extruding the heated composite onto a substrate to form a three dimensional object,
wherein the conductive polymer composite demonstrates an increase in conductivity compared to the same composites made with non-metal plated carbon nanotubes, the conductive polymer composite having a bulk conductivity of 0.6 S/cm to about 200 S/cm, where the conductivity is calculated using the formula σ=L/(R*A), based on the measured resistance (R) of an extr

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Vella Sarah J
• Prestayko Rachel
• Moorlag Carolyn
• Keoshkerian Barkev

Classifications

• C09D7/40

  Additives · CPC title

• B29C70/882

  partly or totally electrically conductive, e.g. for EMI shielding (conductive floors or floor coverings H05F3/025; EMI shielding in general H05K9/00) · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• C09D5/24

  Electrically-conducting paints {(conductive materials H01B1/00)} · CPC title

• B29K2105/167

  Nanotubes · CPC title