Stretchable polymer thick film silver conductor for highly permeable substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9253883-B2
Application number	US-201314082600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Nov 18, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

This invention is directed to a polymer thick film conductor composition. The polymer thick film (PTF) conductor composition may be used in applications where significant stretching is required, particularly on highly permeable substrates. A particular type of substrate which is suitable is a woven polyester coated with polyamide. An electrical circuit containing a conductor formed from the composition and a process to make such a circuit are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical circuit on a wearable garment, the electrical circuit comprising:
(i) a conductor formed from a polymer thick film conductor composition comprising:
(a) 30 to 70 wt % silver flakes;
(b) 20 to 50 wt % first organic medium comprising 10 to 50 wt % thermoplastic urethane resin dissolved in a first organic solvent, wherein the weight percent (wt %) of the thermoplastic urethane resin is based on the total weight of the
(c) organic medium; and
(d) 5 to 20 wt % second organic medium comprising 10 to 50 wt % thermoplastic polyhydroxyether resin dissolved in a second organic solvent wherein the weight percent of the thermoplastic polyhydroxyether resin is based on the total weight of the organic medium;

wherein the ratio of the weight of the first organic medium to the weight of the second organic medium is in the range from 2.3 to 3.7, wherein the weight percent of the silver flakes, the first organic medium and the second organic medium are based on the total weight of the polymer thick film conductor composition; and
(ii) a polyamide-coated woven polyester substrate, wherein the polymer thick film conductor composition is deposited on the polyamide-coated woven polyester substrate and is then dried to form the conductor on the polyamide-coated woven polyester substrate.

2. The electrical circuit of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic urethane resin is a linear hydroxyl polyurethane.

3. The electrical circuit of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic urethane resin is a polyester-based copolymer.

4. The electrical circuit of claim 1 , wherein said permeable substrate is a woven polyester coated with polyamide.

5. The electrical circuit of claim 1 , wherein said ratio of the weight of the first organic medium to the weight of the second organic medium is about 3:1.

6. A process for making an electrical circuit on a wearable garment, the electrical circuit comprising a conductor formed from a thick film conductor composition, said process comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a polyamide-coated woven polyester substrate;
(b) providing a polymer thick film conductor composition comprising:
(i) 30 to 70 wt % silver flakes;
(ii) 20 to 50 wt % first organic medium comprising 10 to 50 wt % thermoplastic urethane resin dissolved in a first organic solvent, wherein the weight percent (wt %) of the thermoplastic urethane resin is based on the total weight of the organic medium; and
(iii) 5 to 20 wt % second organic medium comprising 10 to 50 wt % thermoplastic polyhydroxyether resin dissolved in a second organic solvent wherein the weight percent of the thermoplastic polyhydroxyether resin is based on the total weight of the organic medium;
wherein the ratio of the weight of the first organic medium to the weight of the second organic medium is in the range from 2.3 to 3.7 and wherein the weight percent of the silver flakes, the first organic medium and the second organic medium are based on the total weight of the polymer thick film conductor composition;

(c) depositing said polymer thick film conductor composition onto said polyamide-coated woven polyester; and
(d) drying the polymer thick film conductor composition that was deposited in step (c) to form the conductor on the polyamide-coated woven polyester substrate.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein said thermoplastic urethane resin is a linear hydroxyl polyurethane.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein said thermoplastic urethane resin is a polyester-based copolymer.

9. The process of claim 6 , wherein said permeable substrate is a woven polyester coated with polyamide.

10. The process of claim 6 , wherein said ratio of the weight of the first organic medium to the weight of the second organic medium is about 3:1.

Assignees

• Du Pont

Inventors

• Critzer Mark Steven
• Dorfman Jay Robert

Classifications

• C09D171/00 Primary

  Coating compositions based on polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain (based on polyacetals C09D159/00; based on epoxy resins C09D163/00; based on polythioether-ethers C09D181/02; based on polyethersulfones C09D181/06); Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• H05K1/038 Primary

  Textiles (used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366) · CPC title

• B05D5/12

  to obtain a coating with specific electrical properties · CPC title

• C09D175/00

  Coating compositions based on polyureas or polyurethanes; Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• H01B1/22

  the conductive material comprising metals or alloys · CPC title