Scalable Electrically Conductive Spray Coating Based on Block Copolymer Nanocomposites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Existing conductive inks face limitations in balancing electrical performance with mechanical properties, scalability, and processability.
• Carbon black composites often struggle to achieve high conductivity without sacrificing flexibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel conductive coating with improved electrical and mechanical properties.
• To explore the use of poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene)-g-maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MAH) in carbon black composites for enhanced performance.
• To investigate the scalability and cost-effectiveness of the developed conductive material.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of blends using carbon black and SEBS-g-MAH.
• Application of coatings via spray-coating onto diverse insulating materials (fabric, wood, glass, plastic).
• In situ tensile testing combined with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to analyze structure-property relationships.

Main Results:

• Achieved electrical conductivity of approximately 100 S/m, an order of magnitude higher than previously reported carbon black composites.
• Demonstrated excellent mechanical flexibility with a tensile strain of ~5.00 mm/mm.
• Developed a low-cost nanocomposite material (~$10/kg) suitable for large-scale device fabrication.

Conclusions:

• The developed carbon black/SEBS-g-MAH composite offers a promising solution for high-performance, flexible, and scalable conductive coatings.
• The material's ability to recover from physical damage via thermal annealing enhances product longevity.
• The cost-effective and processable nature of this conductive coating opens avenues for widespread application in various devices.