Conductive composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549022-B2
Application number	US-201916539243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2019
Priority date	Aug 13, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are conductive composites comprising a polymer, a conductor selected from metals and metal alloys, a compatibilizing agent, and an optional thickening agent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conductive composite comprising:
(a) a polymer matrix;
(b) a conductor selected from metal alloys having a melting temperature below about 60° C.; and
(c) a compatibilizing agent comprising one or more of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated amines, fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymers, alkyl polyglucosides, fatty amine oxides, sulfoxides, or organophosphine oxides, wherein
the metal alloys comprise at least about 50% by weight of gallium, bismuth, mercury, or combinations thereof,
the conductor is stably entrapped within the polymer matrix.

2. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive composite further comprises an ionic amphiphilic compound, metallic nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof.

3. A conductive composite according to claim 2 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a size less than 100 nm in any linear dimension and comprise copper, nickel, stainless steel, tin, titanium, tungsten, mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof.

4. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises a thermoset or thermoplastic polymer.

5. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , further comprising a thickening agent.

6. A conductive composite according to claim 5 , wherein the thickening agent is an organic thickening agent.

7. A conductive composite according to claim 5 , wherein the thickening agent is an inorganic thickening agent.

8. A conductive composite according to claim 5 , wherein the thickening agent comprises rods, wires, substantially spherical particles, or a mixture thereof, and comprises a metal selected from nickel, titanium, tungsten, stainless steel, copper, tin, a metal oxide of nickel, titanium, tungsten, stainless steel, copper, tin, or zinc, ceramics, and combinations thereof,
wherein the substantially spherical particles have an average size of about 0.1-500 μm and the rods and wires have lengths of from 0.01-10 mm.

9. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive composite comprises from about 0.1-50% by volume of the conductor.

10. A conductive composite according to claim 1 which is a laminate.

11. A conductive composite according to claim 10 , wherein the conductor and compatibilizing agent are substantially uniformly mixed together and form a layer of the laminate.

12. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor and the compatibilizing agent are substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the polymer matrix.

13. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive composite has a bulk conductivity of no more than about 5×10 5 S/m at 20° C., an elongation greater than or equal to 50%, and a tensile strength greater than or equal to 3 MPa.

14. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , further comprising an additive that increases thermal oxidative stability.

15. A composition consisting of a metal alloy, having a melting temperature below 60° C., optionally at least one inorganic thickening agent or organic thickening agent, and a compatibilizing agent, wherein
the compatibilizing agent consists of one or more of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated amines, fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymers, alkyl polyglucosides, fatty amine oxides, sulfoxides, or organophosphine oxides, and
the metal alloy comprises at least about 50% by weight of gallium, bismuth, mercury, or combinations thereof.

16. A composition according to claim 15 , wherein the composition further consists of one or more of the inorganic thickening agent or the organic thickening agent.

17. A method for preparing a conductive composite comprising
combining a mixture of monomers or a polymer composition with (a) a conductor selected from metal alloys having a melting temperature below about 60° C. and (b) a compatibilizing agent, wherein
the compatibilizing agent comprises one or more of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated amines, fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymers, alkyl polyglucosides, fatty amine oxides, sulfoxides, or organophosphine oxides, and
the metal alloys comprise at least about 50% by weight of gallium, bismuth, mercury, or combinations thereof.

18. A substrate carrying a layer of the conductive composite according to claim 1 .

19. A method for preparing a substrate carrying a layer of a conductive composite, comprising heating the conductive composite of claim 1 and applying it to a substrate.

20. A method for preparing a conductive composite comprising layering a conductive paste onto a surface of a polymer, wherein the conductive paste is substantially free of water and consists of
(a) a conductor selected from metals and metal alloys having a melting temperature below about 60° C.;
(b) a compatibilizing agent comprising one or more of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated amines, fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymers, alkyl polyglucosides, fatty amine oxides, sulfoxides, or organophosphine oxides; and
(c) an optional thickening agent.

21. A conductive composite comprising a first polymer layer and a continuous paste layer supported by the polymer layer, wherein the continuous paste layer comprises (a) a conductor selected from metal alloys having a melting temperature below about 60° C. and (b) a compatibilizing agent, wherein
the metal alloys comprise at least about 50% by weight of gallium, bismuth, mercury, or combinations thereof.

22. A conductive composite according to claim 21 , further comprising a layer of a second polymer covering the continuous paste layer.

23. A conductive composite according to claim 1 , wherein the metal alloys comprise about 15-30% by weight of indium, about 55-80% by weight of gallium, and at least one metal selected from tin and zinc.

24. A composition according to claim 15 , wherein the metal alloy consists of about 15-30% by weight of indium, about 55-80% by weight of gallium, and at least one metal selected from tin and zinc.

25. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the metal alloys comprise about 15-30% by weight of indium, about 55-80% by weight of gallium, and at least one metal selected from tin and zinc.

26. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the metal alloys comprise about 15-30% by weight of indium, about 55-80% by weight of gallium, and at least one metal selected from tin and zinc.

27. A conductive composite according to claim 21 , wherein the metal alloys comprise about 15-30% by weight of indium, about 55-80% by weight of gallium, and at least one metal selected from tin and zinc.

28. A conductive composite comprising:
(a) two or more layers of a polymer matrix arranged as a laminate;
(b) a conductor selected from metal alloys having a melting temperature below about 60° C. and comprising at least about 50% by weight of gallium, bismuth, mercury, or combinations thereof; and
(c) a compatibilizing agent comprising one or more of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated amines, fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymers, alkyl polyglucosides, fatty amine oxides, sulfoxides, or organophosphine oxides,
wherein the conductor and the compatibilizing agent are held as a layer between the layers of

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dustin Ashley M
• Nowak Andrew P
• Guan Xin N
• Gross Adam F
• Sharp Richard E

Classifications

• H01B5/14

  comprising conductive layers or films on insulating-supports · CPC title

• H01B1/22 Primary

  the conductive material comprising metals or alloys · CPC title

• C08K3/08

  Metals · CPC title

• C08K2201/001

  Conductive additives · CPC title

• C09D175/02

  Polyureas · CPC title