Abstract

An electrically conductive, compliant elastomer material that is impregnated with a metal is formed by combining a metal salt with an elastomer precursor material to form a metal salt/precursor mixture, curing the metal salt/precursor mixture to form an elastomer impregnated with metal salt, and treating the elastomer impregnated with metal salt with a chemical reducing composition so as to convert at least a portion of the metal salt impregnated within the elastomer to a metal. The elastomer can be subjected to a suitable solvent that swells the elastomer during the chemical reduction of the metal salt to metal, which enhances the mechanical and electrical properties of the resultant metal impregnated elastomer material.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Description

PTO

Inventor(s)

Elisabeth Smela, Remi Delille, Mario Urdaneta, Samuel Moseley

Date Issued

04/13/2010

Patent No.

7,695,647

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