Highly conductive electrical wires and conductive strips having a reduced weight

Abstract

An electrical conductor is described that includes a plurality of nano-scale material elements and a resin matrix, wherein the nano-scale material elements are aligned within the resin matrix.

1 . An electrical conductor comprising:
 a plurality of nano-scale material elements; and   a resin matrix, said nano-scale material elements aligned within said resin matrix.   
     
     
         2 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements are aligned through extrusion of a mixture of said nano-scale material elements and said resin matrix through a channel. 
     
     
         3 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements are aligned through repetitive application of an incrementally increasing electric field to a mixture of said nano-scale material elements and said resin matrix. 
     
     
         4 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein a portion of said resin matrix is removed before curing to improve a conductivity to weight ratio for said conductor. 
     
     
         5 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements are subjected to a process to remove amorphous carbon and metal catalyst residue from said nano-scale material elements before being mixed with said resin matrix. 
     
     
         6 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements comprise at least one of single walled, double walled, multiple walled, and many walled nano-scale material elements. 
     
     
         7 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements comprise at least one of a nano metal film or a plurality of nano metal particulates on a surface of said nano-scale material elements. 
     
     
         8 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 7  wherein said nano metal particulates comprise at least two different nano-scale elements to enhance interface related electron transport. 
     
     
         9 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements comprise metallic nano-scale material elements, said metallic nano-scale material elements separated from semi-conducting nano-scale material elements through application of a negatively biased electric field associated with an AC voltage before a dispersion of the metallic nano-scale material elements within said resin matrix. 
     
     
         10 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements comprise carbon nanotube elements. 
     
     
         11 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An electrical conductor comprising:
 a plurality of nano-scale material elements each comprising a surface;   at least one of a nano metal film and a plurality of nano metal particulates on said surface of said nano-scale material elements; and   a resin matrix, said nano-scale material elements aligned within said resin matrix.   
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 21  wherein said nano-scale material elements are aligned through extrusion of a mixture of said nano-scale material elements and said resin matrix through a channel. 
     
     
         24 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 21  wherein said nano-scale material elements are aligned through repetitive application of an incrementally increasing electric field to a mixture of said nano-scale material elements and said resin matrix. 
     
     
         25 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 21  wherein a portion of said resin matrix is removed before curing to improve a conductivity to weight ratio for said conductor. 
     
     
         26 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 21  wherein said nano-scale material elements are subjected to a process to remove amorphous carbon and metal catalyst residue from said nano-scale material elements before being mixed with said resin matrix. 
     
     
         27 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 21  wherein said nano-scale material elements comprise at least one of single walled, double walled, multiple walled, and many walled nano-scale material elements. 
     
     
         28 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 21  wherein said nano metal particulates comprise at least two different nano-scale elements to enhance interface related electron transport. 
     
     
         29 . An electrical conductor according to  claim 1  wherein said nano-scale material elements comprise metallic nano-scale material elements, said metallic nano-scale material elements separated from semi-conducting nano-scale material elements through application of a negatively biased electric field associated with an AC voltage before a dispersion of the metallic nano-scale material elements within said resin matrix.