Lightweight Ultra-Strong Flexible Power Cables from Metallic Nanoparticles and Aramid Nanofibers

This SBIR Phase I project will develop a lightweight, flexible, high-strength conductive wiring cable that is easy to process. In previous work, large volumetric fractions of Au, Ag, Cu and Al nanoparticles (NPs) were incorporated into a porous aramid nanofiber (ANF) matrix to realize films that have high electrical conductivity, yet maintain superior mechanical strength, the properties, which are usually hard to achieve simultaneously. Furthermore, the composite films demonstrate excellent flexibility, which is superior to other related classes of reported flexible conductors including carbon based nanomaterials (CNTs and graphene) and other metallic nanomaterials. The unique network structure enables high electrical conductivity and robust mechanical behavior of the metal-ANF films. Most pertinently for mass-restrictive applications, we demonstrated that copper-ANF composites had ~90 % less mass density than solid copper, but with electrical properties (conductivity, ampacity) that were at least 33 % of the bulk value. During Phase I, we will first find the lower limits of achievable mass that still provides acceptable conductivity, ampacity, and strength in both cylindrical and polygonal cross-sectional wires. We will then characterize the conductive and insulating properties of self-insulated wires, in which a single fabrication process can produce non-uniform conductivity with eleven orders of magnitude difference in the measured resistivity in different regions of the solid. Finally, we will design manufacturing tools to scale-up the production of wires and down-select to either a planar or cylindrical processing.nbsp;