High Temperature, Wet-Dielectric, and Flexible Wire Insulation

In this SBIR Phase I project, Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) proposes to develop a flexible, lightweight, low cost, high electrical resistivity, abrasion resistant, erosion resistant, and wet-dielectric wire insulation for continuous operations at high temperatures exceeding 425C, for use in Navy aircraft applications. Continuous exposure of an engine wiring harness to harsh environmental conditions such as moisture, heat, vibration, and chemical contamination may result in insulation degradation and possible wire failure. Currently, glass fibers impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are widely used for wire insulation. However, the relatively low upper temperatures of PTFE (260 C) limits its applicability for use at high temperature. In this SBIR proposal, ACT proposes to develop high performance wire insulations with specific advantages as listed below:Ability to handle high temperatures exceeding 425CDurable wet-dielectricHighly flexibleResistance is much larger than 100 Mega-ohmsHighly abrasion resistant Excellent erosion protectiveLightweightInexpensive