Affordable, Lightweight, Highly Conductive Polymer Composite Electronic Packaging Structures

The objective of this proposed SBIR research project is to develop the technology which will enable the production of affordable, lightweight, highly conductive polymer composite electronic packaging (i.e., electronic housings and heat sinks). The research will center on predominately polymer matrix composite materials and how various material designs can be utilized in various structural/thermal configurations to produce electronic housings and heat sinks that exceed the performance requirements of current aluminum electronic housings and metallic heat sinks (and at one-half the weight). This research will leverage off work initiated by COI, namely: 1. COI's STD ATR card guide made from both low and highly conductive polymer matrix composite materials was successfully tested for greater thermal performance and half aluminum STD STR weight. 2. COI's SNAPSAT (TM) technology has demonstrated that polymer composites structural components can be as affordable as existing aluminum structural components (i.e., FORTE's bus structures). If successful, this technology would show the feasibility to design and fabricate spacecraft electronic housings and heat sinks for PWB's that: 1. Reduce their mass by 40-50% (compared to aluminum). 2. Are thermally compatible with the future composite spacecraft bus and mounting decks and therefore can be incorporated into the structure itself (i.e., multi-functional structure). 3. Are thermally compatible with each other (i.e., Cardcage and Heat Sinks). 4. Are structurally and electromagnetically feasible.