Super Dielectric Materials
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Authors
Fromille, Samuel
Phillips, Jonathan
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2014-03-26
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Publisher
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Abstract
Evidence is provided that a class of materials with dielectric constants greater than 105,
herein called super dielectric materials (SDM), can be generated readily from common,
inexpensive materials. Specifically it is demonstrated that high surface area alumina
powders, loaded to the incipient wetness point with a solution of boric acid dissolved in
water, have dielectric constants greater than 4*108 in all cases, a remarkable increase
over the best dielectric constants previously measured, ca. 1*104. It is postulated that any
porous, electrically insulating material (e.g. high surface area powders of silica, titania),
filled with a liquid containing a high concentration of ionic species will potentially be an
SDM. Capacitors created with the first generated SDM dielectrics (alumina with boric
acid solution), herein called New Paradigm Super (NPS) capacitors display typical
electrostatic capacitive behavior, such as increasing capacitance with decreasing
thickness, and can be cycled, but are limited to a maximum effective operating voltage of
about 0.8 V. A simple theory is presented: Water containing relative high concentrations
of dissolved ions saturates all, or virtually all, the pores (average diameter 500 Å) of the
alumina. In an applied field the positive ionic species migrate to the cathode end, and the
negative ions to the anode end of each drop. This creates giant dipoles with high charge,
hence leading to high dielectric constant behavior. At about 0.8 volts, water begins to
break down, creating enough ionic species to ‘short’ the individual water droplets.
Potentially NPS capacitor stacks can surpass ‘supercapacitors’ in volumetric energy
density.
Type
Article
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Physics
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
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Citation
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.