DFG joint project contact resistors

An important aspect for the use of electrically conductive modified plastics is their contacting. In addition to processes that subsequently create a contact (e.g. clamping or melting contacts), there are also numerous process-integrated methods. Injection molding is certainly worth mentioning here, but integration via other common primary forming, forming and joining processes is also conceivable.

The aim of the project is to develop a model to describe the electrical contact resistance at the interface between electrically conductive modified plastics and metallic contacts, depending on the parameters of the interface transition and the plastic edge layers, to quantify this and to validate it in the context of realistic production processes. The scientific challenges relevant to this are

• Development of a measurement method for the indirect determination of local contact resistances in order to avoid the influences of conventional preparation methods
• Use of local model parameters describing the interface to ensure the applicability of the model for various plastics processing methods
• Consideration of influences due to ageing, temperature and functional fatigue

• Institute of Materials Engineering - Plastics Technology, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Peter Heim, University of Kassel
• Institute of Drive Technology - Vehicle Systems and Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ludwig Brabetz, University of Kassel

Project duration: 01.10.2020 - 30.09.2022

The joint project is funded by the German Research Foundation.