Flexible thick film conductor composition

• US 5,653,918 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 08/05/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Towlson, Simon Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): McGinty, Douglas J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOPEC, MARK T
• Application Number:
  US08/584,624
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 252/510, 252/511, 252/512, 252/513, 252/514, 252/518, 524/439, 524/495, 106/1.18, 106/904
• US Class Current: 252/514
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/22 the conductive material comprising metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/004 Conductive ink
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder

Abstract

Highly flexible and mechanically robust screen-printable conductor composition containing a) a conductive phase comprising Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt, C or graphite and mixtures thereof dispersed in a polymer solution containing b) a terpolymer of polyvinyl acetate, vinyl chloride and a polar component dissolved in a volatile solvent.

Claims

1. A thick film conductor composition comprising by weight, basis total composition:

(a) 40-80% electrical conductive metal wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, Pd and Pt and mixtures and alloys thereof;

(b) 4-18% terpolymer wherein the terpolymer is vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate and a third component selected from the group consisting of vinyl alcohol, and hydroxyalkyl acrylate dissolved in

(c) organic solvent.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the vinyl acetate is ≦

15% of the terpolymer.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the terpolymer comprises 1-15 wt % vinyl acetate, 0.5-20 wt % third component and 1.5-65 wt % vinyl chloride.

4. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a thixotropic agent.

9. The composition of claims 1, 5 or 6 wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of butyrolactone, 1-methoxy-2-propanol acetate, diethylene oxalate, dimethyl succinate, dimethyl glutarate, dimethyl adipate and mixtures thereof.

5. A thick film composition comprising by weight, basis total composition:

(a) 35-60% admixture of carbon black, graphite and silver;

(b) 4-18% terpolymer wherein the terpolymer is vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate and a third component selected from the group consisting of vinyl alcohol, and hydroxyalkyl acrylate dissolved in

(c) organic solvent.

6. A thick film composition comprising by weight, basis total composition:

(a) 7-15% of an electrically conductive component selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, and mixtures thereof;

(b) 4-18% terpolymer wherein the terpolymer is vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate and a third component selected from the group consisting of vinyl alcohol, and hydroxyalkyl acrylate dissolved in

(c) organic solvent.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the electrically conductive component is an admixture of carbon black and graphite.

8. The composition of claim 6 wherein the electrically conductive component is graphite.