HIGH-POWER SWITCHING BEHAVIOR IN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMER COMPOSITE-MATERIALS

The electrical switching properties of electrically conductive polymer composites are studied at high current densities. It is shown that th e switching properties at high current densities are substantially dif ferent from those at low current densities which depend on a positive temperature coefficient of resistance effect. This type of switching a ppears to be a general feature of conductor-filled polymer composite m aterials and should lead to a new class of fast, current-limiting devi ces for power circuits. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.