Nickel inks and oxidation resistant and conductive coatings

• US 9,815,998 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Printed Energy Pty Ltd
• Original Assignee: Printed Energy Pty Ltd
• Inventors: Lockett, Vera N., Hartman, Alexandra E., Gustafson, John G., Lowenthal, Mark D., Ray, William J., Daneshi, Leila
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEMANSKI, HELENE G
• Application Number:
  US15/237,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 106 3192, 252503, 252510, 252513
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2003/0862 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/041 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/042 Graphene or derivatives, e.g. graphene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/046 Carbon nanorods, nanowires, nanoplatelets or nanofibres
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/08 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/053 Polyhydroxylic alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/092 Polycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/03 characterised by features other than the chemical nature of the binder
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/037 characterised by the pigment
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/104 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/52 Electrically conductive inks
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/02 mainly consisting of metals or alloys

Abstract

A conductive ink may include a nickel component, a polycarboxylic acid component, and a polyol component, the polycarboxylic acid component and the polyol component being reactable to form a polyester component. The polyester component may be formed in situ in the conductive ink from a polyol component and a polycarboxylic acid component. The conductive ink may include a carbon component. The conductive ink may include an additive component. The conductive ink may include nickel flakes, graphene flakes, glutaric acid, and ethylene glycol. The conductive ink may be printed (e.g., screen printed) on a substrate and cured to form a conductive film. A conductive film may include a nickel component and a polyester component.

Claims

1. A conductive ink comprising:

a conductive nickel component;

a conductive carbon component; and

a printability enhancing additive, wherein the printability enhancing additive comprises a peroxide.

2. The conductive ink of claim 1, wherein the conductive nickel component comprises nickel flakes.

3. The conductive ink of claim 2, wherein the nickel flakes comprise a longest dimension of 10 μ

m to 15 μ

m.

4. The conductive ink of claim 1, wherein the conductive carbon component comprises graphene flakes.

5. The conductive ink of claim 1, wherein the printability enhancing additive further comprises styrene.

6. The conductive ink of claim 1, wherein the peroxide is selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxide, 2-butanol peroxide, 2,4-chlorobenzoyl peroxide, lauryl peroxide, and a combination thereof.

7. The conductive ink of claim 6, wherein the peroxide comprises benzoyl peroxide.

8. The conductive ink of claim 1, further comprising a polycarboxylic acid component and a polyol component, the polycarboxylic acid component and the polyol component being reactable to form a polyester component.

9. The conductive ink of claim 8, wherein the polycarboxylic acid component comprises at least one of maleic acid, fumaric acid, glutaconic acid, traumatic acid, and muconic acid.

10. The conductive ink of claim 8, wherein the polycarboxylic acid component comprises glutaric acid and wherein the polyol component comprises ethylene glycol.

11. The conductive ink of claim 1, wherein a nickel film printed using the conductive ink has a sheet resistance of 0.4 Ohms per square per mil (Ohms/sq/mil) to 0.5 Ohms/sq/mil.

12. A method of fabricating a conductive ink, the method comprising:

providing a mixture comprising a conductive nickel component and a conductive carbon component; and

dispersing a printability enhancing additive in the mixture, wherein the printability enhancing additive comprises a peroxide.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the conductive nickel component comprises nickel flakes.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing nickel oxide from one or more surfaces of the nickel flakes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein removing the nickel oxide comprises heating the nickel flakes in the presence of a polycarboxylic acid component to a temperature between 80°

C. and 120°

C.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the printability enhancing additive further comprises styrene.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising mixing the conductive nickel component with mixing media and reducing a conductive nickel component particle size, wherein the mixing media comprises beads.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the mixture comprises:

dispersing the conductive nickel component in a polyol component;

dispersing a polycarboxylic acid component in the polyol component, the polycarboxylic acid component and the polyol component being reactable to form a polyester component.