SBIR-STTR Award

Dielectric materials, which store energy electrostatically, are ubiquitous in advanced electronics and electric power systems. Polymer dielectrics have highbreakdown strengths and excellent reliability, are scalable, lightweight and can be shaped into intricate configurations, and are therefore an ideal choice for many power electronics, power conditioning, and pulsed power applications. A variety of high-performance engineering polymers have been considered as possible high-temperature dielectric materials to address these urgent needs. These materials perform reasonably well at high temperatures but only under relatively low electric fields; there has been only limited success when the material is subject to both high temperatures and high voltages. It has been shown that improving thermal conductivity of the polymer film dielectrics vastly improves performance, but scalability remains an issue. Composite Technology Development, Inc. (CTD), in collaboration with Dr. Qing Wang and Carestream Contract Manufacturing is proposing to develop a polyimide-based nanocomposite film dielectric that will exhibit performance meeting or exceeding the desired performance targets and can be produced using an industry-standard roll-to-roll production process.

Benefit:
The nanocomposite film dielectrics being developed in this program will find applications not only in military pulsed power applications such as the Navys experimental rail gun, but also in commercial applications such as hybrid and electric vehicles, aerospace power electronics, and underground oil and gas exploration, where performance under high voltage, high temperature conditions is required.

Keywords:
dielectric film, dielectric film, High Temperature, Nanocomposite, high voltage, High Rate Production, Capacitor

Dielectric materials, which store energy electrostatically, are ubiquitous in advanced electronics and electric power systems. Polymer dielectrics have highbreakdown strengths and excellent reliability, are scalable, lightweight and can be shaped into intricate configurations, and are therefore an ideal choice for many power electronics, power conditioning, and pulsed power applications. A variety of high-performance engineering polymers perform reasonably well at high temperatures but only under relatively low electric fields. It has been shown that improving thermal conductivity of the polymer film dielectrics vastly improves performance, but scalability remains an issue. In this Phase II program, Composite Technology Development, Inc. (CTD), in collaboration with Dr. Qing Wang and Chasm Advanced Materials will leverage the results of the Phase I program to optimize our thermally conductive nanocomposite film dielectric performance and then to develop processes to scale these material for future commercial production. The program includes material optimization and testing tasks, cost analysis, prototype capacitor demonstration, and demonstration of pilot-scale roll-to-roll production. The technology is expected to reach TRL4 at the conclusion of the base program and TRL5 to TRL6 at the conclusion of the option.

Benefit:
The nanocomposite film dielectrics being developed in this program will find applications not only in military pulsed power applications such as the Navys experimental rail gun, but also in commercial applications such as hybrid and electric vehicles, aerospace power electronics, and underground oil and gas exploration, where performance under high voltage, high temperature conditions is required.

Keywords:
high voltage, High Rate Production, dielectric film, Nanocomposite, Capacitor, High Temperature