High K, Low Loss Selenium Polymers For Lightweight Capacitors

ASPEN SYSTEMS PROPOSES TO DEVELOP HIGH DIECTRIC CONSTANT (K) SELENIUM POLYMERS TO MEET THE DESIGN OBJECTIVES OF HIGH ENERGY DENSITY CAPACITORS (HEDC) FOR ENERGY STORAGE IN PULSED POWER SYSTEMS (15 TO 45 MJ/kg). IN THE PROPOSED PHASE I WEL WILL SYNTHESIZE HIGHLY PROCESSABLE, Se BASED POLYMERS AND FABRICATE SAMPLES OF FILM FOR DIELECTRIC ANALYSIS. INITIAL, RIGOROUS CALCULATIONS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED BASED ON QUANTUM MECHANICAL MODELS (DMol) WHICH INDICATE THAT THESE MATERIALS HAVE A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER (>200%) DIELECTRIC CONSTANT THAN PVDF WITH A PREDICTED DIELECTRIC CONSTANT OF 20 TO 30. UNLIKE PVDF THESE Se POLYMERS MATERIALS ARE PREDICTED TO HAVE HIGH DIELECTRIC STRENGTH AND LOW LOSS. OUR MODELS PREDICT THE K VALUES FOR SUBSTITUTED Se COMPOUNDS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THOSE OF THE CORRESPONDING SULFUR AND OXYGEN BASED COMPOUNDS. DR. WELSH, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, WILL CONTRIBUTE $50,000 IN HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR THEIR EVALUATION. THESE POLYMERS ARE CRUCIAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HED CAPACITORS FOR SPACE POWER SYSTEMS AND CONDITIONING.