372

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TECHNOLOGY,

VOL. CHMT-4, NO. 4, DECEMBER

1981

PolySwitch PTC Devices-A New Low-Resistance Conductive Polymer-Based PTC Device for Overcurrent Protection
FRANK A. DOLJACK

Abstracz-Positive temperature coefftcient (PTC) resistors for use as overcurrent protectors are now available with normal conduction mode resistances of about 0.04 Sl. This resistance is significantly lower than devices made from heretofore available barium titanate ceramics. PolySwitchTM overcurrent protectors are made from conductive polymer compositions, which are newly developed materials. Fabrication of a PolySwitch device includes the creation of the base conductive polymer composite, melt forming it to device shape, attachment of leads, and packaging. The final product looks like a disc capacitor but acts like a solid-state circuit breaker or resettable fuse. The source of the PTC effect in these compositions is volume expansion upon heating and the subsequent disruption of connecting carbon black chains. Resistance characteristics of these compositions are reproducible and consistent from device to device; the concepts of a minimum and maximum base resistance and a resistance recovery curve are discussed. Polymer volume compaction processes are responsible for the recovery behavior. The physics of PolySwitch device behavior is explained by Joule heating. The characteristics important to the designer are ultimate trip current as a function of ambient temperature, a property of thermal and electrical equilibrium; and the trip-time characteristic, a property of the nonequilibrium dynamic response. Knowledge of both these charactistics allows the designer to quickly choose a PolySwitch device for his particular job.

magnitude resistance change over a 20C temperature range have been demonstrated. Processes to insure operational consistency have been developed but they require precise control and inspection procedures. This paper is divided into three parts: a discussion of the characteristics of conductive polymer composites in general, the electrical characteristics of PolySwitch devices, and some applications which exemplify the attributes of this type of limit device. CHARACTERISTICS OF CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS The Source of Positive Temperature Coefficient of Resistance

The electrical conducitivity of polymeric materials can be increased significantly by the incorporation of adequate loadings of a conductive filler, for example, carbon black or metal particles. The conductive polymer-based PTC devices discussed in this paper all have carbon black loadings. Carbon black particles form themselves into chains instead of randomly dispersed particles, giving rise to a high electrical conductivity in the polymer composition (resistivities of about 1 a-cm). It is these compositions that we call conductive polymers. INTRODUCTION The electrical resistivity of conductive polymer composites HE POLYSWITCHT M PTC (positive temperature coeffi- is determined by the type of carbon blacks and the volume cient of resistance) circuit protector offers an option for ratio of total carbon black to polymer. Changes in this volume overcurrent control that until its introduction, has been ratio can cause major changes in resistivity: a decrease in unavailable. In its characteristics, it is similar to a PTC thermis- volume ratio produces fewer connecting carbon black chains tor made from doped barium titanate ceramics. PolySwitch de- and an increase in electrical resistivity. PolySwitch conductive vices made from conductive polymer composites greatly ex- polymer devices contain a crystalline polymer and therefore tend the useful range of properties offered by those ceramic exhibit an anomalous PTC of resistance effect in the temperadevices. Functioning like a reset-table fuse in an electrical cir- ture region of the crystalline polymer melting point. The atcuit, the PolySwitch device exhibits either of two states: a low tendant discontinuous volume change lowers the volume ratio resistance current-conducting state with resistance as low as of filler to polymer and a very large resistance increase results. 0.04 a; or a current limiting state with resistance as high as The link between resistance and volume is depicted in Fig. 50 000 a, both values typifying a single device. 1. Fig. 1 also quantitiatively shows the magnitude of the In the last decade there has been substantial progress in anomalous PTC effect for a typical PolySwitch device. Inconductive polymer composite materials [l] -[3] . As the term creases of six orders of magnitude in resistance over a few tens is used here, conductive polymer composites are actually con- of degreesCelsius are common. ductive particles such as metal or carbon dispersed in a polyConductive polymer-based PTC devices differ from the meric matrix such as polyolefins or fluoropolymers. In a cer- more conventional doped barium titanate ceramics in signifitain subset of these materials, PTC effects of six orders of cant ways. A 1 a-cm resistivity at 20C is common for conductive polymer composites while barium titanate materials Manuscript received February 13, 1981; revised August 3, 1981. generally exhibit a considerably higher resitivity. The ability to This paper was presented at the 31st Electronic Components Confer- design a PTC device as an overcurrent protector in a power ence, Atlanta, GA, May 11-13, 1981. The author is with Raychem Corporation, 300 Constitution Drive, circuit depends directly on the ability to produce low resistivity materials. Another significant distinction of conductive Menlo Park, CA 94025.

0148-6411/81/1200-0372$00.75

0 1981 IEEE

DOWACK: POLYSWITCH DEVICES PTC

RECOVERY

373

T
I I
v) vr !&f '1 HR.' 1 I ! I 24 RR. I 1 11 HR.1 I I 1 1 24 HR. I I I I I

to

TIME __f

Fig. 2. Baseresistance recovery. process is repeated (heating the device to the polymer melt temperature, cooling it, and subsequently observing the recovery of base resistance) the resistance value is again R(24). In normal ambient conditions the return of resistance to Rinitial continues to take place slowly. The origin of this recovery process is found in the physics of secondary recrystallization of the polymer and reformation of carbon black chains. This discussion has introduced the concept of a maximum base resistance (usually taken as R(1)) and a minimum base resistance Rinitial. These two values of base resistance are used in design. ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYSWITCH DEVICES Joule Heating of PTC Resistors In the presence of sufficiently low currents, the resistive Joule heating of PolySwitch overcurrent protectors is inadequate to disturb its low resistance state equilibrium. Alternatively an overcurrent will cause the protector to self heat at a rate faster than its thermal dissipation rate. Thermal equllibrium is re-established when the device resistance reaches a value very much greater than its initial value, thus reducing device power generation to a level equal to its dissipation rate. In this way PolySwitch protectors reduce circuit current to a trickle, thereby protecting circuit components from overcurrent damage. The protector is said to have tripped. An analysis of the circuit in Fig. 3 demonstrates the performance described above. Vr represents the normal circuit voltage, and Va represents a fault voltage of higher value. The circuit load resistance is RL. The PolySwitch device resistance RT is described qualitatively in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 graphically demonstrates two equlibrium operating points, one for each voltage obtained by equating power generated in device = power dissipated in device.

20%

130% TEMF'ERATURE

Fig. 1. Resistance volumeasfunction of temperature. and polymer composites is the persistence of PTC behavior past the anomaly temperature. Barium titanates, on the other hand, can become NTC (negative temperature coefficient) in this region, a property which is hazardous in practical circuit applications (because it leads to thermal runaway). Other differences that conductive polymer composites exhibit are mechanical insensitivity to thermal shock and only slight resistance sensitivity to voltage. Base Resistance Recovery After Use The operational characteristics of a PTC device used as an overcurrent protector depend fundamentally on its base resistance. In this paper base resistance is defined as the resistance measured at 2OC, Rzo. As discussed above, the base resistance of conductive polymer PTC devices is very sensitive to the volume ratio of carbon black to polymer. It is this sensitivity to volume ratio which leads to the following discussion. A PolySwitch PTC device is manufactured to yield a base resistance which is its minimum value. This value is defined Rinitiai and corresponds to maximum volume ratio of carbon black to polymer. Stated another way, the volume of polymer is in its most compacted state. When the device temperature is raised to near its melting point (producing high resistance) and then subsequently returned to 2OC, the base resistance does not immediately recover to Rinitial as the return to maximum volume compaction of the polymer is a much slower process than simple cooling alone. Fig. 2 exemplifies this behavior. Suppose a device with base resistance Rinitial is quickly heated at time to to 130C (note: 130C in Fig. 1) and then brought back to a 20C environment. At the end of 1 h, the device temperature has returned to 2OC. The measured base resistance, R(1) in Fig, 2, may be as large as 20 percent higher than Rinitial. If resistance is measured after 24 h,.R(24), it will have decreased further to R(24), a value typically 5 percent lower than R(1). If at time t,, this

In Fig. 5 K is the heat dissipation coefficient of the PolySwitch protector and is determined primarily by packaging design. TA is the ambient temperature. Device temperature Tl is slightly above ambient and corresponds to low resistance

374

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1981

Fig. 3. General circuit shown with normal voltage VI and fault voltage Vz .

WU-

TA)

TA

TJ

Fig. 6.

Powei balance at ultimate trip.

%a

TU(TA)

L 1

Fig.

4.

Typjcal

resistance-temperature characteristic.

20-c

TA

TU

TEMPERATURE

Fig. 7.

Normalized resistance-temperature characteristic showing definition of derivative in (1).

Equation. for Ultimate Trip Cuwent The equilibrium point shown in Fig. 6 is also a tangent point on the generated power curve. This attribute along with some appropriate calculus can be used to derive the basic equation for PolySwitch protectors (this is done in the Appendix):

I,,2R20 = K
TA T1 TEMPERATURE

(W~O)T,(T~).

1, and K are as defined earlier. R2o is the base resistance. The derivative denominator is defined in Fig. 7 and is the slope at a (see Fig. 4). This is the equilibrium state with normal circuit tangent point on the normalized resistance-temperature charvoltage Vr. Device temperature T2 produces high resistance acteristic. The extrapolation of this slope intersects the temperature axis at the ambient temperature. In this way the slope and is the equilibrium state when fault voltage V, is present. Fig. 6 is.like Fig. 5, but is a special case: namely, it repre- is seen to actually be a function of TA . Equation (1) completely characterizes the ultimate trip cursents the conditions at ultimate trip. The ultimate trip current 1, is the last equilibrium current possible in the low resistance rent in terms of basic device properties. Rzo is determined by state. material resistivity and device geometry. K is a constant deterFig. 5. Power balance analysis.

DOLJACK:

POLYSWITCH

PTC DEVICES * AMBIENT -U----I, AMBIENT -Cl-'-'Q-AMBIENT -O-----O-AMBIENT TEMPERATURE 40C,Ro(l~ax) = .9458 TEMPERATURE 50C,Ro(12 ) = .7148 TEMPERATURE 60%,R o (I ;;;, = .4974 TEMPERATURE 70C,Ro(l;ax) = .3063

375

VOLTAGE (VOLTS)

Fig. 8.

Current-voltage characteristic for PolySwitch C02R006.

mined by device size and packaging. The slope,

T&'-A

1,

is purely a function of material composition and ambient temperature. It is this factor which is responsible for the temperature dependence of 1,. Inspection of Fig. 7 shows that the slope increases as TA increases. Consequently 1, as given by (1) decreasesmonotonically with increasing TA . Quantitative knowledge of (1) allows a designer to predict changes in 1, caused by changes in Rzo . This relationship can be experimentally determined in a direct manner by measuring the equilibrium current-voltage characteristics of a device in various constant ambient temperatures. Fig. 8 is a currentvoltage characteristic measured on a PolySwitch C02R006 overcurrent protector at four different ambient temperatures in a still air environment. The maximum current (I,,, in Fig. 8) achieved for each ambient temperature is precisely the ultimate trip current 1, for that temperature. The values of Iu2R2,-, are calculated (in Fig. 8 these are labeled R,-J,,,,,*) and are shown plotted in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 together with the knowledge of maximum and minimum values of base resistance for this device, allows the designer to determine both the maximum and minimum limits of ultimate trip. The C02R006 data sheet specified Rinitial = 0.035 a (minimum base resistance) and R(1) = 0.042 Ll (maximum base resistance). These values and Fig. 9 yield Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is very useful to the designer in helping him decide whether the device will function properly in his application. At the ambient temperature of interest, any overcurrent greater than the maximum limit of ultimate trip will be sure to

I
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0

TAPC)
Fig. 9. Zu*R20 versus TA for PolySwitch C02R006.

trip the PolySwitch protector. Meanwhile, if normal circuit operating currents always remain below the minimum limit of ultimate trip, the designer is assured the protector will remain in its low resistance state. Dynamic Response: Time-to-Trip The above discussion deals with device performance under thermal and electrical equilibrium. Applications nearly always require some coordination between the overcurrent protector and the circuitry being protected. Therefore the speed of response of PolySwitch devices must be quantitatively understood. The physics of PolySwitch device dynamics is similar to other switching devices which operate by self heating, for

316

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VOL. CHMT-4, NO. 4, DECEMBER

1981

9 a 7 6 ;;
P ii 4 2 3 2 1 5 4

10

20

30 TA (OC)

40

50

60

70 1 I/I 100

Fig. 10.

Limits of ultimate trip for PolySwitch C02R006.

Fig. 11. Trip-time characteristic for C02R006.

example, fuses. The speed with which a device gets to its switching temperature depends upon the size of the overcurrent I, the. ambient temperature, the thermal mass of the device, its specific heat, its heat dissipation coefficient, and its base resistance. For each PolySwitch device type (its thermal mass and heat dissipation coefficient being set by construction and geometry) the dependence of its trip-time characteristic upon base resistance and ambient temperature can be removed by representing time-to-trip as a function of overcurrent expressed as multiple of ultimate trip current (Ilr,). This representation produces a single trip-time characteristic which describes the time response of the device type. The
dependence on ambient temperature and base resistance is

contained in I,. Fig. 11 is the trip-time characteristic for PolySwitch C02R006. To determine its response at 20C for a device with base resistance of 0.035 a, Fig. 9 is consulted to obtain the ultimate trip current I,. At 2OC, I,*Rzo = 1.44 W, which yields an 1, of 6.4 A. The abscissa in Fig. 11 is simply multiplied by 6.4, yielding Fig. 12, which shows trip time versus I (AMPERES) overcurrent for a 0.035 a device at 20C. Fig. 12. Trip-time for C02R006 at 20C. Fig. 9 and Fig. 11 constitute the two fundamental relationships which describe PolySwitch conductive polymer device performance. The Iu2RZ0 versus TA relationship fully supplies must be energy limited with the normal overcurrent describes equilibrium performance and the trip time versus protection by-passed. This includes fuses, circuit breakers, and I/I,, relationship fully describes the nonequilibrium dynamic overcurrent protection circuitry. response. Together these relationships enable a designer to Designers apparently were left with no alternatives except quickly choose an overcurrent protector to do his job. to use costly energy limiting transformers. But a recent U.L. ruling now permits a reliable positive temperature coefficient APPLICATIONS resistor to be used at the secondary of a standard isolation transformer to supply a circuit conforming to power limitation Class 2 Power Supply Energy Limiter requirements of Class 2 circuits. Underwriter Laboratory (U.L.) Safety Standard 1012 reFor example, an existing six-key telephone system draws a quires that Class 2 power supplies used by telephone com- maximum of 1.9 A from its power supply (shown in Fig. 13) panies be limited in both maximum output current and VA during normal operation of the keyboard lighting in an ambioutput under short-circuit conditions. Based in part on the ent temperature up to 70C. A C02R006 PolySwitch PTC reNational Electrical Code requirements for Class 2 and Class 3 sistor allows normal operation to 70C since reference to Fig. circuits, U.L. Standard 1012 specifies that approved power 10 shows its minimum limit of ultimate trip as 2.7 A. But in

DOLJACK:

POLYSWlTCH

PTC DEVICES
250 PolvSwitch Protector

377

I. T

Lightning Strike Protection 1OOK

ELC Input

Fig. 13.

Economical Class 2 power supply.

RI3
2% PolySwitch Protector -48V

the event of a short circuit, it limits output power in compliance with the U.L. 1012 test procedure. A short circuit will draw approximately 20 A and Fig. 12 predicts the PolySwitch device will trip in 25 s, easily avoiding dangerous temperature build-up in the Class 2 circuit. Protection of Subscriber Loop Interface Circuits Integrated circuits and other solid-state components face a difficult operating environment in the telecommunications world. One of the specific application challenges is the protection of solid-state subscriber loop interface circuits (SLICs) from damage caused by overvoltages that occur on telephone subscriber lines. The most prevalent causes of overvoltage are lightning strikes, induction from current transients in electrical power lines, and direct contact between power lines and telecommunication lines. Protection of SLICs and other telephone components from the above faults is accomplished by the circuit of Fig. 14 which utilizes the C24T002H protection device. This circuit conditions the overvoltages which appear at the T and R terminals such that the output voltage swings are within SLIC component limits. The C24T002H easily passes the circuits normal 40 mA operating current, but will always trip for fault currents as low as 200 mA. Operation is expected over ambient temperatures from 0 to 70C. As shown in Fig. 14, gas discharge tube or carbon black ar-, restors provide the primary protection for lightning energy absorption and voltage limiting. The performance of these devices is well-known. Primary protectors meeting telecommunications requirements will typically limit the peak instantaneous voltage at T and R to less than 1000 V with respect to ground. The circuit resistance introduced by the PolySwitch protector insures that the resulting peak instantaneous currents are less than 35 A during a lightning strike. This is well within the peak surge current ratings of diode bridges, such as the Motorola MDA220 and varistors such as the GE V68ZlO as shown in Fig. 14. The voltage appearing at the output terminals during a lightning strike is limited by the action of the varistor and/or diode bridge (depending on the polarity of the lightning strike) to peak instantaneous values less than +3, -150 V. Induced transient voltages below the primary protectors breakdown voltage produce lower level currents that result in low level output voltages. The varistor and diode bridge will continue to limit output

Fig. 14. Protection of subscriber loop interface circuit.

voltage and protect downstream electronics on longer term faults as long as their own power handling capabilities are not exceeded. When electrical power lines come in contact with telephone lines, varistor and diode bridge power ratings would easily be exceeded were it not for the switching action of the PolySwitch protector. Currents in excess of 200 mA flowing through either PolySwitch device cause that device to switch to its high resistance state. This increased circuit resistance causes current to fall to low levels. For example, the steady-state application of a 240 V ac fault voltage between terminals T or R and ground will cause the PolySwitch protector to switch to a resistance of approximately 95 000 a. This switching action severely limits circuit current to the region of 2.5 mA causing approximately 0.6 W to be dissipated in the PolySwitch protector and negligible power to be disdipated in the varistor and/or diode bridge. Consequently these components will be undamaged by the continuous application of power line voltages and will continue to limit the output voltage to very low levels. When the power line fault voltage is removed from terminals T or R , the PolySwitch protector cools, returning to a low resistance value of approximately 25 a, thereby restoring the telephone circuit to normal operating conditions. Battery Protection Nickel-cadmium batteries and certain lithium cells require short circuit protection to avoid self heating and subsequent rupture because of internal cell pressure. The C02R002 device has been particularly attractive in this type of battery protection because it will reset after the battery terminals are cleared, thus requiring no user intervention in the battery pack. In conjunction with a fixed currentlimiting resistance, a device similar to the C02R002 device was used to win Factory Mutual Intrinsically Safe Approval of a portable transceiver for use in Group D (methane/air or propane/air) atmospheres. The prior method employed a fully redundant semiconductor current-limiting circuit produced on a flexible circuit so it could fit into the limited space available with the battery housing. In all these applications, reliability, resettability, ultimate safe failure, and economy were key considerations.

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1981

APPENDIX The tangency shown in Fig. 6 is correctly expressed as follows:

In Fig. 6 one can identify the,following relationship:

K &2R~(Tu)

T, - TA Substituting this expression for K into (4) gives The left side of (2) requires some discussion. In nearly all practical circuit situations, I is independent only on circuit voltage and load resistance, not temperature. In the low resistance region RT is generally much less than the load resistance; hence temperature-caused changes in RT have no effect on I. Therefore (2) becomes
I,2

d(R/Rzo) [ 1
dT T,

=R~(Tu>iR2o

Tu-TA

(5)

where 1, is now subscripted because only a single value for 1, makes (3) true for a given value of Tu. Further rewriting gives =K, (4)

L2R20

[ 1 d(JVRzo) [ 1
dRT dT

= K,

This relationship is geometrically represented in Fig. 7. The construction in Fig. 7 can be used to evaluate numerically the derivative

T,

d@/R,o) [ 1
dT T,

REFERENCES
[l] [2] [3] .I. Meyer, Glass transition temperature as a guide to selection of polymers suitable for PTC materials, Polymer Engineering Sci., vol. 13, no. 6, p. 462, Nov. 1973. M. Narkis, A. Ram, and F. Flashmer, Electrical properties of carbon black filled polyethylene, Polymer Engineering Sci., vol. 18, no. 8, p. 649, June 1978. M. Narkis, A. Ram, and 2. Stein, Effect of crosslinking on carbon black/polyethylene switching materials, /. Appl. Polymer Sci., vol. 25, p. 1515, 1980.

dT

T,

which is (1). It is important to gain some intuitive understanding of the derivative

dWR,o) [ 1
dT T,-