Elongated, ultra high conductivity electrical conductors for electronic components and vehicles, and methods for producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017339787-A1
Application number	US-201615158274-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2016
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Elongated, ultra-high conductivity electrical conductors for use in advanced electronic components and vehicles, and methods for producing the same, are disclosed herein. The elongated electrical conductors include a conductor body that defines a longitudinal axis. The conductor body includes an isotropically conductive matrix material and a plurality of anisotropically conductive particles interspersed within the isotropically conductive matrix material. Each anisotropically conductive particle defines a respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conductor body. The methods include providing a bulk matrix-particle composite that includes the isotropically conductive matrix material and the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles. The methods further include forming the bulk matrix-particle composite into an elongated electrical conductor and aligning the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles such that the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity thereof is at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrical conductor.

First claim

1 . An electrically conductive wire, comprising:
a conductor body defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the conductor body includes: (i) an isotropically conductive matrix material, wherein the isotropically conductive matrix material consists essentially of copper; and (ii) a plurality of anisotropically conductive particles interspersed within the isotropically conductive matrix material, wherein the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles consists essentially of a plurality of intercalated graphite domains that includes an intercalated bromine dopant, wherein each anisotropically conductive particle in the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles defines a respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity, and further wherein the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity of each of the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles is at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conductor body; and a dielectric coating that covers an external surface of the conductor body.

2 . A method of defining the elongated electrical conductor of claim 19 , the method comprising:
providing a bulk matrix-particle composite including: (i) the isotropically conductive matrix material; and (ii) the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles, wherein an electrical conductivity of each anisotropically conductive particle is greater along the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of the anisotropically conductive particle in at least one other direction that is different from the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity; forming the bulk matrix-particle composite into the elongated electrical conductor; and aligning the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles such that the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity of each of the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles is at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrical conductor.

3 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further includes selecting a weight percentage of the isotropically conductive matrix material within the bulk matrix-particle composite based, at least in part, on at least one of a desired electrical conductivity of the elongated electrical conductor, a desired density of the elongated electrical conductor, and one or more desired mechanical properties of the elongated electrical conductor.

11 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the forming includes lengthening the bulk matrix-particle composite, along the longitudinal axis, to define the elongated electrical conductor.

12 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the forming includes at least one of:
(i) extruding the bulk matrix-particle composite through an extrusion die; (ii) drawing the bulk matrix-particle composite through a drawing die; and (iii) pultruding the bulk matrix-particle composite through a pultrusion die.

13 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the aligning is at least substantially concurrent with the forming.

14 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the aligning is responsive to the forming.

15 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the aligning includes aligning such that the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity of each of the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles is at least substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrical conductor.

16 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the aligning includes aligning such that an average value of an angle of intersection between the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity of each of the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles and a corresponding line that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrical conductor is less than 30 degrees.

17 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the aligning includes aligning such that an electrical conductivity of the elongated electrical conductor, as measured along the longitudinal axis thereof, is greater than an electrical conductivity of the bulk matrix-particle composite.

18 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further includes at least one of:
(i) applying a dielectric coating to an external surface of the elongated electrical conductor; and (ii) inserting the elongate electrical conductor into a length of dielectric tubing.

19 . An elongated electrical conductor, comprising:
a conductor body defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the conductor body includes: (i) an isotropically conductive matrix material; and (ii) a plurality of anisotropically conductive particles interspersed within the isotropically conductive matrix material, wherein each anisotropically conductive particle in the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles defines a respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity, and further wherein the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity of each of the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles is at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conductor body.

20 . An electronic component, comprising:
a dielectric support; and a plurality of electrically conductive traces extending within the dielectric support, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of electrically conductive traces includes the elongated electrical conductor of claim 19 .

21 . A vehicle including the elongated electrical conductor of claim 19 .

22 . The elongated electrical conductor of claim 19 , wherein the isotropically conductive matrix material consists essentially of copper.

23 . The elongate electrical conductor of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles consists essentially of a plurality of intercalated graphite domains.

24 . The elongate electrical conductor of claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of intercalated graphite domains includes an intercalated dopant selected to enhance the electrical conductivity of the intercalated graphite domains along the axis of enhanced electrical conductivity.

25 . The elongate electrical conductor of claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of intercalated graphite domains includes a plurality of graphene layers, wherein each of the plurality of graphene layers defines a respective surface plane, wherein the respective surface plane of each of the plurality of graphene layers in a given intercalated graphite domain of the plurality of intercalated graphite domains is parallel, or at least substantially parallel, to the respective surface plane of each other graphene layer in the given intercalated graphite domain, and further wherein the axis of enhanced electrical conductivity of the given intercalated graphite domain is at least substantially parallel to the respective surface plane of each of the plurality of graphene layers.

26 . The elongate electrical conductor of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles consists essentially of a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

27 . The elongate electrical conductor of claim 26 , wherein each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes includes an intercalated dopant selected to enhance an electrical conductivity of the plurality of carbon nanotubes.

28 . The elongate electrical conductor of claim 19 , wherein a weight percentage of the isotropically conductive matrix material within the bulk matrix-particle composite is at least 40 weight percent and at most 95 weight percent.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Braley Daniel Joseph
• Belk John Huntley
• Hasan Zeaid F
• Tanielian Minas H

Classifications

• H01B5/02

  Single bars, rods, wires, or strips · CPC title

• H01B1/026 Primary

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title

• B22F3/20

  by extruding · CPC title

• H01B13/14

  by extrusion {(extrusion in general B29C48/00)} · CPC title

• H01B13/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing conductors or cables · CPC title