Effect of processing conditions and electrode characteristics on the electrical properties of structural composite capacitors

Structural capacitors are manufactured from glass fabric/epoxy prepreg dielectrics and metalized polymer film electrodes. The electrical breakdown strengths of these multifunctional materials are investigated across a wide range of electrode constructions and processing parameters. The results show that electrode selection and materials processing have a significant impact on the energy that the device can store. Also, this careful consideration of processing parameters and electrode construction has led to the development of a structural capacitor with an energy density exceeding 0.90 J/cm3, the highest yet reported.