An electrically conductive article containing shaped particles and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249495-A1
Application number	US-201415027496-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrically conductive articles are provided, including a composite including (a) a resin, and (b) electrically conductive shaped particles distributed in the resin, the particles having a monosized distribution. Each particle has a shape including at least a first surface and a second surface intersecting the first surface at an angle a between about 5 degrees and about 150 degrees. The composite has a thickness and often each of the electrically conductive shaped particles distributed in the resin is oriented within the resin such that the particle does not extend beyond the thickness of the composite. A method for making an electrically conductive article is also provided, including (a) providing electrically conductive shaped particles having a monosized distribution, and (b) distributing the particles into a resin to form a composite.

First claim

1 . An electrically conductive article comprising:
a composite comprising:
(a) a resin; and
(b) electrically conductive shaped particles distributed in the resin, the particles having a monosized distribution, each particle comprising a shape comprising at least a first surface and a second surface intersecting the first surface at an angle α between about 5 degrees and about 150 degrees; wherein the composite comprises a thickness.

2 . The electrically conductive article claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles distributed in the resin is oriented within the resin such that the particle does not extend beyond the thickness of the composite.

3 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises a metal coating having an average thickness between 1 micrometers (μm) and 50 μm.

4 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises a core comprising alumina, zirconia, yttria, yttria-stabilized zirconia, silica, titanium carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, or silicon carbide.

5 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises a metal coating comprising aluminum, silver, copper, nickel, gold, or alloys thereof.

6 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises a shape comprising at least three surfaces meeting in a point.

7 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive shaped particles comprise an average particle size of between 5 μm and 50 μm.

8 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein the composite comprises between 0.5 vol. % and 25 vol. % of the electrically conductive shaped particles.

9 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises an epoxy, a polyurea, an acrylic, a cyanoacrylate, a polyamide, a phenolic, a polyimide, a silicone, a polyester, an aminoplast, a melamine, an acrylated epoxy, a urethane, polyvinyl chloride, or a combination thereof.

10 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein the composite further comprises a plurality of conductive fillers comprising an aspect ratio of length to height of greater than 2:1.

11 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate, wherein the composite is attached to a major surface of the substrate.

12 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises a core including aluminum, silver, copper, gold, or alloys thereof.

13 . The electrically conductive article of claim 1 , wherein the composite exhibits a contact resistance of the z-axis of between 0.05 and 0.60 ohms as measured by the Z-Axis Resistance Test.

14 . A method for making an electrically conductive article comprising:
(a) providing electrically conductive shaped particles having a monosized distribution, each particle comprising a shape comprising at least a first surface and a second surface intersecting the first surface at an angle α between about 5 degrees and about 150 degrees; and (b) distributing the electrically conductive shaped particles into a resin to form a composite; wherein the composite comprises a thickness.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises molding a core of each of the electrically conductive shaped particles.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles comprises a core comprising alumina, zirconia, yttria, yttria-stabilized zirconia, silica, titanium carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, or silicon carbide.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing the electrically conductive shaped particles further comprises applying a metal coating to the core of each of the electrically conductive shaped particles to form the electrically conductive shaped particles.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the electrically conductive shaped particles distributed in the resin is oriented within the resin such that the particle does not extend beyond the thickness of the composite.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the composite exhibits a contact resistance of the z-axis of between 0.05 and 0.60 ohms as measured by the Z-Axis Resistance Test.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least 90% of the particles in the monosized distribution comprise a surface area that does not vary by more than 5% of the average surface area of all of the particles in the distribution.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Ghosh Dipankar
• Mccutcheon Jeffrey W
• Culler Scott R

Classifications

• H01B1/20

  Conductive material dispersed in non-conductive organic material {(organic macromolecular compounds or compositions C08)} · CPC title

• H01B1/22 Primary

  the conductive material comprising metals or alloys · CPC title

• H05K9/0064 Primary

  Earth or grounding circuit · CPC title

• H01B1/24

  the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon · CPC title