Piezoresistive TiB2/silicone rubber composites for circuit breakers

Piezoresistive composites with high hardness and conductivity are required for circuit breakers for multi-cycle operation under large current flow. Based on the simulation results for the mechanical behavior of piezoresistive composites, we developed piezoresistive composites with conductive TiB2 ceramic materials and silicone rubber. TiB2 up to 70 vol.% was embedded into the polymer matrix without any mechanical deterioration while the electrical resistance was decreased with increasing TiB2 content. Piezoresistive composites with 70 vol.% TiB2 particles exhibited a resistance of 1.7 Omega at a pressure of 1.1 MPa. A circuit breaker with the fabricated piezoresistive composites acted as a switch with a response time of around 2 ms. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.