NOVEL CONDUCTING CERAMIC/POLYMER COMPOSITE PTC THERMISTERS FOR HIGH CURRENT SWITCHES

RESEARCH ON UTILIZING CLASSIFIED CONDUCTING CERAMIC POWDERS SUCH AS TIC, TIB2 AND ZRB2, AND THE CONCEPT OF PERCOLATION AND SUBSEQUENT PTC EFFECTS, TO FABRICATE CERAMIC/POLYMER COMPOSITE THERMISTERS FOR HIGH CURRENT SWITCHES IS HEREIN PROPOSED. THE USE OF VERY CONDUCING POWDERS AND OPTIMIZED PARTICLE SIZE(S) AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF SUCH, SHOULD ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERY LOW RESISTIVITY (1 OHM-CM) COMPOSITE THERMISTORS. THE OPTIMIZED COMPOSITE DESIGN WILL THUS ENABLE THE CAPABILITY OF DEALING WITH CURRENT DENSITIES AS HIGH AS 10000 AMPS/SQ.CM IN THEIR CONDUCTIVE STATE. THIS COMPOSITE MATERIAL ADVANCE SHOULD MEET THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS OF ELECTRICAL PULSED POWER DEVICES BEING DEVELOPED FOR VARIOUS WEAPON APPLICATIONS.