Composites of Phase Change Dielectrics and Glass-ceramic for High Power Density Capacitors

High-temperature, high-energy density capacitors are essential for state-of-the-art all-electric equipment including rail guns and other weapons, electromagnetic launchers, sensors, vehicles, and ships. High energy density capacitors can only be achieved using materials with both high dielectric permittivities and high dielectric breakdown strengths. In this program TRS Technologies and The Pennsylvania State University propose to develop high-temperature capacitors exhibiting high-energy storage using on phase change dielectric ceramics that have been demonstrated to exhibit energy densities on the order of 20 J/cm3 and using glass ceramics in conjunction with hot isostatic pressing technology (HIP). Defect free antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric phase-change materials containing 10 ~ 40% glass-ceramics are projected to have dielectric constants of ~1000 and dielectric breakdown strengths on the order of 1000kV/cm, resulting in energy densities as high as 40J/cm3. Considering factors such as packaging losses, practical energy densities of ~12J/cm3 are projected for capacitors operating at about half of the dielectric breakdown strength. Hot isostatic pressing will be used to fabricate the nearly flaw-free ceramic ?glass-ceramic 3-3 composites required to realize these energy storage levels.