Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites

Don Klosterman1

Chyi Shan Wang

Brian Rice

Khalid Lafdi

University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI)300 College Park Dayton, OH 45469-0160937-229-2528 (phone)937-229-3433 (fax)Donald.Klosterman@udri.udayton.edu

1 presenter

UDRI: Who We Are

• Not-for-profit research organization

• More than 340 full-time engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff

• Synergistic teaming of full-time UDRI staff with UD faculty & students

• Facilities located on the University of Dayton campus

• Off-campus operations including on-site R&D contracts at Wright-Patterson AFB; Warner Robins ALC, Georgia; and in Ogden, Utah

• In FY 2003 UDRI performed $53 M of sponsored R&D on 1100 accounts, totaling nearly $53 million (89% government, 11% industrial)

• Polymers are light weight, corrosion-resistant materials with a wide variety of industrial and military uses.

• Three classes of polymer resins:– Thermoplastic (rigid, meltable, e.g. polyethylene)– Elastomer (stretchable, e.g. rubber)– Thermoset (rigid, not-meltable, e.g epoxy)

• Polymers are generally NOT good conductors of electricity

• However, electrical conductivity is desired in various polymer applications:– Electrostatic dischage, electostatic painting, EMI

shielding,lightning strike protection, etc.

Conductive Polymers

Prior Art Making Plastics Conductive

10 m

Carbon nanofibers

• Carbon nanofibers:– Highly conductive, but

nonuniform dispersion and/or degraded aspect ratio

10 m

Aluminum powder

• Conductive powders: micro-sized metal filings, carbon black, etc.– Mixes well, but high

loading is required

Melt Blending or High Shear Melt Compounding

Heated, high shear mixer

UDRI Technology Description

“Method of Forming Conductive Polymeric Nanocomposite Materials and Materials Produced Thereby” (U.S. Patent Application 2003/0039816 A1)

Solvent removal

FilamentsCoatingsThin or thick filmsTubesPanelsComposites

carbon nanofibers• Polymer resin• Affordable carbon nanofibers• Solvent

Ambient Temperature Dispersion process

Advantages

• 2-3 orders of magnitude more conductive than that produced by melt blending

• Electronic percolation threshold < 1%

• Use of affordable carbon nanofibers

Large aspect ratio retained

Uniform dispersion achieved

ExampleConductivity of thermoplastic polyurethane film

Applications & Markets

• Electromagnetic inerference (EMI) shielding• Electromagnetic pulse applications• Electrical signal transfer• Electrostatic painting of panels• Electrostatic discharge• Lightning Strike Protection• Electro-optical devices (photovoltaic cells)

Conductive Paints, Coatings, Caulks, Sealants, Adhesives, Sheets, Tubes, and Structural Components

Industries: Space, Aerospace, Electronic, Automotive, Chemical

Development Stage• Practiced regularly on laboratory scale at UDRI,

~ 1 lb. batches (polymer + nanofiber)

• Data collected on wide variety of thermoplastic, elastomer, and thermoset polymers

• 2000 ft2 pilot plant and new equipment being installed; scale-up studies underway at UDRI; expect 10-50 lb. batch capacity by spring 2004

– Dry nanomaterial powder handling and storage– Nanoparticle dispersion and solvent removal– Preform fabrication: film extrusion and prepregging– Composite lay-up and filament winding– Composite molding processes, including VARTM,

press, and autoclave– Post cure ovens– Extrusion and fiber spinning.

Go To Market Strategy

• Nanosperse is working with early adopter companies, resin suppliers, and nano materials manufacturers to develop applications

• Pilot scale product, samples, and R&D support will be provided initially by UDRI and Materials Research Institute (Dayton, OH) through Nanosperse, LLC

• Future production by Nanosperse according to customer requirements

• Exclusive patent license to

Support Capability

Contact Art Fritts at Nanosperse, 330-670-6849 afritts@nanosperse.com, www.nanosperse.com

UDRI has a 40+ year history of polymer and composite R&D. We have a staff of full-time engineers and technicians; we are customer oriented and respect client confidentiality.

• Pilot plant production and R&D• Custom compounding• Standard Master Batch material• Production of films, fibers, plaques,

prepregs• Curing • Testing

The following capabilities will be available to industrial clients through Nanosperse:

Currently Available Product Forms“By The Pound”, December 2003

• Custom compounded resin/nanofiber batches

See us at the UDRI booth (#24) !!

Letting-down master batch material

Master Batch concentrate material

• Liquid and Paste Master Batch Material– Epoxy– Elastomers

Molded nano-composite plaque

• Molded nanocomposite plaques

• Thin Film Composites

Also Under Development

• Thermally conductive nanocomposites

• Structural reinforcement

• Tailored functionalization of carbon nanofibers

• Continuous fiber composites containing carbon nanofibers