Patent ID: 6268408
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: C09K,H01B

Abstract:
A conductive fire-retardant thermoplastic mixture, said mixture includinga thermoplastic base elastomer material,conductive material comprising a matrix of conductive elements, each of said conductive elements comprising a flexible fiber characterized by a length-to-diameter ratio of approximately one thousand,and fire-retardant material,wherein said conductive elements comprise metal-coated graphite fibers,wherein said base material comprises a thermoplastic synthetic rubber material,wherein, before mixing of said aforespecified materials takes place, said metal-coated fibers are bundled together to form fiber segments each including a multiplicity of individual coated fibers adhered together,wherein said length-to-diameter ratio of each of said individual coated fibers is such that, when the fibers in each segment are dispersed in the final mixture, a contacting matrix of individual conductive fibers is established therein,and wherein said fiber segments comprise about 5-to-25 percent by volume of the material of said mixture, wherein said fire-retardant comprises approximately 10-to-20 percent by volume of the material of said mixture, and said thermoplastic base material comprises the remaining volume of said mixture.