Patent — available for licensing
Advanced Materials for Electronics Insulation
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
Electrical insulation materials for wires and other high-power electronics must have the additional property of high thermal conductivity to adequately dissipate heat from critical electrical components. The typical insulating materials are polymers, which are not sufficiently thermally conductive for heat management. Additives like ceramic nanoparticles may be mixed with polymers to improve the thermal properties, but the blended materials can be difficult to manufacture into appropriate shapes (e.g., ribbons) for insultation without introducing voids or agglomerates of the additives. Innovators at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have developed polymer composite formulations that have high thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrically insulating properties of the polymer. Additionally, NASA has developed manufacturing processes that produce high-quality, well-mixed, void-free materials. These electrically insulating and thermally conductive composites may be used as insulation for electrical components in electric motors, power generation, or in healthcare equipment.