Developing Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs) and Compatible Conductive Inks for Use in 3D Objects and Tunable Antenna Array

The future of the Air Force and telecommunications technology is in the development of smaller, lighter, more portable components. The Space Force’s renewed mission to develop our space capabilities, the Air Force’s move to Agile Combat Employment and emerging wireless communication and sensor applications all increasingly require miniaturization and portability. Using particle free ink in electronics, with 90% less material required in electronic connections, the Air Force and Space Force can reduce costs and weight of electronics components.   Enter Electroninks, the world leader — and one of the only domestic suppliers of — particle-free conductive inks. Our metal-based inks create pure metallic films on a dizzying array of parts and components, with applications from agile printed circuit boards to chip manufacturing to EMI/RF shielding to metalization of parts. Because these patented inks do not contain binders and fillers, they are able to produce conductivity ratings with much higher than industry standards, allowing massive reductions in precious metals used and minimum layer thickness required.     Our partnership with Dr. Taylor Ware and the Ware Lab at Texas A&M University, whose research interest in biomaterials, micro/nanotechnology, and polymer formation, will merge Electroninks’ expertise in high conductivity particle-free inks with the Ware Lab’s cutting edge work in liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) to develop state-of-the art antenna and communications technology.    AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RX) is our committed end-user and customer on this effort. The main goals of this project are to develop a system of LCPs and compatible conductive inks, prototype their use in 3D objects, and demonstrate that the 3D circuit is robust to mechanical deformation. The mission impact of this project on the Air Force and the Department of Defense will be to create entirely new capabilities of flexible structures that are highly resistant to chemical, weather and radiation damage and can replace heavier materials like ceramics, composites, metals and other plastics. Of particular interest to AFRL/RX is the potential to use these structures as capabilities as flexible, tunable, resilient antenna applications.   Objectives include conducting basic R&D/RDTE by: developing liquid crystal elastomer substrates and printing metallic inks on each substrate; by fabricating test circuits with tunable metal thickness, metal type, and resolution on liquid crystal elastomer substrates; by fabricating test circuits in a 3D forms by printing electronics on a liquid crystal elastomer substrate; by fabricating and testing circuits in a 3D form designed for extensibility; by optimizing circuit design and process parameters to increase circuit durability testing on structure(s) or devices per patterning requirements; and developing final prototypes of 1-2 circuits in user specified 3D forms.