Patent Registration by Iran Composites Institute in the United States

  The invention of the “Electrically Conductive Polymeric Composite Material” by Prof. Mahmood Mehrdad Shokrieh, Ali Naghashpour, and Saber Mirzaee was patented with the serial number US 8,105,505 B2 by the United States Patent.

  The invention came as a result of research conducted in the Mechanical Engineering School at Iran University of Science and Technology. This invention makes it possible to replace lead grid alloys in lead acid batteries with electrically conductive polymeric composites in chemically corrosive environments. Low weight, high strength, high stiffness, chemically corrosive resistance, and electrically conductive characteristics are obtained from the product. To investigate the electrical conductivity, a composite made of Vinyl-ester (an anti-corrosive matrix) and woven carbon fibers are produced. A carbon black powder is added to composites as a conductive filler to reduce the electrical volume and surface resistivity.

  The electrical volume and surface resistivity examinations were conducted according to international standards. To evaluate the corrosion rate of the composite conductor, vast tests were performed on Vinyl-ester, woven carbon fibers, and various percentages of carbon black powder. By increasing the percentage of filler, corrosion potential and current corrosion densities decrease. In comparison with lead grid alloys, the new composite material has a lesser rate of corrosion increase. Performing corrosion and electrical conductivity experiments proves that the composite substance, in addition to having a higher corrosion resistance in comparison with lead grid alloys, has an exceptional electrical conductivity, low weight, and can be a proper replacement in lead acid batteries.