Electromechanically robust conductive elastomer enabled by a hybrid-phase alloy and methods of producing the same
AssigneeCarnegie Mellon University
InventorsCarmel Majidi, Gun-Hee Lee
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Abstract
A composite material includes a network of hybrid-phase metallic particles embedded in a polymer substrate and demonstrates elasticity, stable resistance under strain, and robust mechanical durability. The hybrid-phase particles include a liquid phase and a solid phase bound by common metallic components. Unlike other conductive elastomers, the hybrid-phase metallic particles do no leak from the substrate, especially after repeated strain cycles. A method of fabrication includes mixing metallic particles with a polymer solution, allowing dispersion of the metallic particles within the polymer substrate.
Claims21
A conductive composite comprising:
- an elastomeric polymer substrate;
- and
- a plurality of hybrid-phase metallic particles dispersed in the elastomeric polymer substrate,
- wherein the plurality of hybrid-phase metallic particles defines a conductive network through the elastomeric polymer substrate,
- wherein individual hybrid-phase metallic particles at ambient temperature comprise a solid phase comprising a bismuth-indium-tin alloy and a deformable phase comprising gallium, the deformable phase being associated with the solid phase such that the conductive composite resists leakage of gallium while maintaining electrical conductivity under strain.
A method of fabricating a conductive composite comprising:
- providing a polymer substrate solution comprising a polymer and a solvent;
- heating a bismuth-indium-tin alloy to a temperature above a melting point of the bismuth-indium-tin alloy;
- separately heating Gallium to a temperature above a melting point of Gallium;
- adding each of the bismuth-indium-tin alloy and the Gallium to the polymer substrate solution, forming a mixture;
- applying a high-energy mixing process to the mixture to disperse the bismuth-indium-tin alloy and Gallium as metallic microparticles within the polymer substrate solution;
- removing the solvent to form a solid polymer substrate;
- and
- cooling to form a plurality of hybrid-phase metallic particles dispersed within the polymer substrate,
- wherein individual hybrid-phase metallic particles comprise a solid phase comprising the bismuth-indium-tin alloy and a deformable gallium-containing phase, forming a conductive network of metallic particles dispersed through the polymer substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.