US 12,421,653 B2
Electrically-conductive broad good
Joseph E. Sprengard, Cincinnati, OH (US); Larry Allen Christy, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Jae Hak Kim, Mason, OH (US)
Assigned to General Nano LLC, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by General Nano LLC, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Oct. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/084,537.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/927,264, filed on Oct. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0131026 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. D06M 11/83 (2006.01); B32B 5/02 (2006.01); B32B 15/04 (2006.01); B32B 15/14 (2006.01); B64D 45/02 (2006.01); D04H 1/4234 (2012.01)
CPC D06M 11/83 (2013.01) [D04H 1/4234 (2013.01); D10B 2401/16 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrically-conductive broad good, comprising:
(A) a dimensionally-stable electrically-conductive nonwoven veil comprising:
(i) a plurality of metal-coated fibers comprising a fiber selected from the group consisting of aramid, carbon, fiberglass, glass, graphene, carbon nanotubes, silicon carbide, nylon, polyester, thermoplastics, and combinations thereof, and one or more metal layers applied to the fibers, the metal-coated fibers having a staple length looped randomly throughout the nonwoven veil, wherein the metal of the one or more metal layers is selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, silver, an alloy of nickel and iron (Ni/Fe), an alloy of copper and tin (Cu/Sn), an alloy of phosphor bronze (Cu/Sn/P), and a combination thereof, and
(ii) a binder material binding to an outer surface of the one or more metal layers to bind the plurality of metal-coated fibers together at a plurality of proximal points, to form the dimensionally-stable electrically-conductive nonwoven veil; and
(B) a first metal coating contacting directly and covering substantially all of the surfaces of substantially all the plurality of metal-coated fibers, and of the binder material, wherein the first metal coating forms an electrically-conductive pathway over the surfaces of the binder material and the plurality of metal-coated fibers that are bound together by the binder material; and
(C) an optional second metal coating covering the surface of the first metal coating.