Electrically Conductive Composition

Abstract

An electrically conductive composition comprising a binder and filler particles in which at least a portion of the particles are silver-plated. In one embodiment the composition comprises a binder such as a polyurethane, electrically conductive filler particles, silver-plated filler particles and solvent.

1 . An electrically conductive composition comprising a binder, and filler particles having a core plated with silver, wherein said composition has a sheet resistivity of less than about 0.100 Ohm/square/25 micron. 
     
     
         2 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the core is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, palladium, carbon black, carbon fiber, graphite, aluminum, indium tin oxide, glass, polymers, antimony doped tin oxide, silica, alumina, fiber, clay, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The conductive composition of  claim 2 , wherein the core is copper. 
     
     
         4 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane elastomers, polyesters, phenolic resins, acrylic polymers, acrylic block copolymers, acrylic polymers having tertiary-alkyl amide functionality, polysiloxane polymers, polystyrene copolymers, polyvinyl polymers, divinylbenzene copolymers, polyetheramides, polyvinyl acetals, polyvinyl butyrals, polyvinyl acetols, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl chlorides, methylene polyvinyl ethers, cellulose acetates, styrene acrylonitriles, amorphous polyolefins, thermoplastic urethanes, polyacrylonitriles, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate terpolymers, functional ethylene vinyl acetates, ethylene acrylate copolymers, ethylene acrylate terpolymers, ethylene butadiene copolymers and/or block copolymers, styrene butadiene block copolymers, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The conductive composition of  claim 4 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane elastomers, polyesters, phenolic resins, copoloymer of polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylacetate and polyvinylchloride, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of phenolics, urethanes, phenoxy resins, polyesters, epoxies, melamines and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The conductive composition of  claim 6 , wherein the binder is phenolic resins. 
     
     
         8 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprising electrically conductive filler material selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold, palladium, platinum, nickel, gold or silver-coated nickel, carbon black, carbon fiber, graphite, aluminum, indium tin oxide, silver coated copper, silver coated aluminum, metallic coated glass spheres, metallic coated filler, metallic coated polymers, silver coated fiber, silver coated spheres, antimony doped tin oxide, conductive nanospheres, nano silver, nano aluminum, nano copper, nano nickel, carbon nanotubes or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprising surface active agents, surfactants, wetting agents, antioxidants, thixotropes, reinforcement materials, silane functional perfluoroether, phosphate functional perfluoroether, silanes, titanates, wax, phenol formaldehyde, air release agents, flow additives, adhesion promoters, rheology modifiers, surfactants, spacer beads or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the filler particles comprise in the range of about 20 to about 70 weight percent of the composition. 
     
     
         11 . The conductive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises in the range of about 2 to about 40 weight percent of the composition. 
     
     
         12 . The conductive composition of  claim 8 , wherein the electrically conductive filler material comprise in the range of up to about 40 weight percent of the composition. 
     
     
         13 . An electrically conductive composition comprising a polyurethane elastomer, one or more silver plated copper particles and at least one solvent. 
     
     
         14 . An electronic device comprising the electrically conductive composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A process for making or forming an electronic device with the conductive composition of  claim 1  comprising applying the conductive composition by dispensing, stencil, screen rotogravure or flexo printing onto a substrate to form conductive tracts or electronic circuitry, and curing and/or drying said conductive composition at about 120° C. for about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         16 . A process for making or forming an electronic device with the conductive composition of  claim 13  comprising applying the conductive composition by dispensing, stencil, screen rotogravure or flexo printing onto a substrate to form conductive tracts or electronic circuitry, and curing and/or drying said conductive composition at about 120° C. for about 10 minutes.