A circuit breaker comprises a contact and a line terminal configured that are bound in an assembly using a silver nanoparticles (NpAg) material that is synthesized by reducing a precursor salt in presence of a reducing agent. The contact comprises a silver alloy material having a first surface. The line terminal comprises a non-ferrous material having a second surface such that a plurality of drops of the silver nanoparticles (NpAg) material synthesized using a green chemistry process are applied in an interface between the first surface of the contact and the second surface of the line terminal by performing a resistance projection welding to bind the two components.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrical switch or sensor. In one embodiment, the electrical switch or sensor comprises a first electrical pole conductively coupled to a first side of a layer of variable resistance material. A second electrical pole is conductively coupled to a second side of the variable resistance material. The first side of the variable resistance material positioned distal to the second side of the variable resistance material. The variable resistance material comprises a polymer comprising a glass transition temperature of no higher than about 10 C. The first electrical pole and/or the second electrical pole comprise an electrically conductive ink or coating having a dispersion of graphene sheets. The graphene sheets completely comprise fully exfoliated single sheets of graphene. The graphene sheets comprise a lattice having heteroatoms incorporated therein and/or functional groups attached thereto.

A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.

A method for manufacturing a chip fuse, comprises: a liquid film forming step for forming a liquid film of dispersion liquid having metal nanoparticles dispersed therein on a principal surface of a substrate; a fuse film forming step for forming a fuse film on the principal surface by irradiating the liquid film with laser light; and a first terminal forming step for forming first terminals that each connects to the fuse film on each of both end sides in a longitudinal direction of the fuse film on the principal surface.

In some embodiments, the effect of uniformly dispersing carbon nanotubes in the material is achieved by including Ag in the carbon nanotubes to suppress the aggregation of carbon nanotubes when the electrical contacts are prepared.

Electrical switches or sensors that comprise (a) a first electrical pole, (b) a layer of a variable resistance material in electrical contact with the first electrical pole, and (c) a second electrical pole that is in electrical contact with the variable resistance material and is not in electrical contact with the first pole, wherein the variable resistance material comprises at least one polymer having a glass transition temperature of no higher than about 10 C.

In some embodiments, a method is provided that includes (1) providing aluminum; (2) providing carbon nanotube material; (3) combining the aluminum and carbon nanotube material to form a current-carrying, aluminum-carbon-nanotube component of an electrical switch device; and (4) assembling the electrical switch device using the aluminum-carbon-nanotube component. The aluminum-carbon-nanotube component is formed so as to have at least one of lower electrical resistivity and greater thermal conductivity than a component formed of aluminum without carbon nanotube material. Numerous other embodiments are provided.

A circuit breaker comprises a body made of a nanocomposite material formed by insertion of nano particles of a nano particles material in thermoplastic polymer of a thermoplastic polymer material. A method of reinforcing a material with another material, the method comprises mixing homogenously a thermoplastic polymer material with a nano particles material in a hot process to reinforce the thermoplastic polymer material with the nano particles material and forming a nanocomposite material by insertion of nano particles of the nano particles material in thermoplastic polymer of the thermoplastic polymer material. The nano particles material has a mechanical wear property, a dielectric property and a thermal property of fire retardant.

A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.

A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.