Wide Temperature, High Energy Density Capacitors for Power System Conditioning

The goal of this proposal is to fabricate a capacitor with an energy density of at least 4 J/cc that is durable over 10,000 cycles with an operational temperature range of -55 °C to 300 °C. This goal requires that a new thermally stable, high dielectric constant material be developed. It is proposed that such a dielectric layer can be achieved using nano-composites. In particular, high dielectric constant barium titanate (BT) particles will be blended with a soluble proprietary APS polymer with high thermal stability (glass transition temperature (Tg) > 350°C and a thermal decomposition temperature (Td) of at least 500°C) to obtain the targeted thermal and electrical properties. To enhance BT nano-particle dispersion while maintaining the ability to operate at high temperatures, a new POSS based thermally stable compatiblization technique has been developed. The nano-composite will be constructed by blending the dispersed BT nano-particles in a polymer solution. The mixture will be homogenized using a high speed stirrer and the resultant solution will be spun-cast to yield a high performance dielectric composite material. These composites will be evaluated of their thermal and electrical properties to identify promising candidates for use in capacitors.