Journal article
Electrically conductive bulk composites through a contact-connected aggregate
PloS one, Vol.8(12), pp.e82260-e82260
2013
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/112256
PMCID: PMC3857253
PMID: 24349239
Abstract
This paper introduces a concept that allows the creation of low-resistance composites using a network of compliant conductive aggregate units, connected through contact, embedded within the composite. Due to the straight-forward fabrication method of the aggregate, conductive composites can be created in nearly arbitrary shapes and sizes, with a lower bound near the length scale of the conductive cell used in the aggregate. The described instantiation involves aggregate cells that are approximately spherical copper coils-of-coils within a polymeric matrix, but the concept can be implemented with a wide range of conductor elements, cell geometries, and matrix materials due to its lack of reliance on specific material chemistries. The aggregate cell network provides a conductive pathway that can have orders of magnitude lower resistance than that of the matrix material--from 10(12) ohm-cm (approx.) for pure silicone rubber to as low as 1 ohm-cm for the silicone/copper composite at room temperature for the presented example. After describing the basic concept and key factors involved in its success, three methods of implementing the aggregate into a matrix are then addressed--unjammed packing, jammed packing, and pre-stressed jammed packing--with an analysis of the tradeoffs between increased stiffness and improved resistivity.
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Details
- Title
- Electrically conductive bulk composites through a contact-connected aggregate
- Creators
- Ahsan I Nawroj - Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of AmericaJohn P Swensen - Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of AmericaAaron M Dollar - Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Publication Details
- PloS one, Vol.8(12), pp.e82260-e82260
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, School of
- Publisher
- United States
- Identifiers
- 99900547609301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article