Insulated electric conductor

Abstract

In order to increase the adhesion of an insulating coating ( 2 ) to an electric conductor ( 1 ), preferably of copper or aluminum, an insulated electric conductor comprising an electric conductor ( 1 ), preferably made of copper or aluminum, with an insulating coating ( 2 ) is proposed according to the invention, wherein the insulating coating ( 2 ) either comprises at least one insulating layer ( 3 ) made of thermoplastic material, or the insulating layer ( 3 ) and a plastic-containing intermediate layer ( 4, 5 ), obtainable by a method in which the electric conductor ( 1 ) is placed under a protective gas atmosphere and is bombarded with ions of the protective gas in a gas plasma in order to remove an oxide layer formed on a surface of the electric conductor ( 1 ) and/or to increase the surface energy of the electric conductor ( 1 ), and subsequently either the at least one insulating layer ( 3 ) or, in the case that the coating ( 2 ) comprises the plastic-containing intermediate layer ( 4, 5 ), at least the plastic-containing intermediate layer ( 4, 5 ) is applied directly to the surface of the electric conductor ( 1 ) under a protective gas atmosphere.

1 . An insulated electric conductor, comprising an electric conductor having an insulating coating, wherein the insulating coating either comprises
 at least one insulating layer made of thermoplastic material,   
       or
 at least one insulating layer made of thermoplastic material and 
 a plastic-containing intermediate layer, 
 
       obtainable by a method in which the electric conductor is placed under a protective gas atmosphere and is bombarded with ions of the protective gas in a gas plasma in order to remove an oxide layer formed on a surface of the electric conductor and/or to increase the surface energy of the electric conductor, 
       and subsequently either
 the at least one insulating layer is applied directly to the surface of the electric conductor under protective gas atmosphere 
 
       or, in case the coating comprises the plastic-containing intermediate layer,
 at least the plastic-containing intermediate layer is applied directly under protective gas atmosphere to the surface of the electric conductor. 
 
     
     
         2 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric conductor is placed continuously under protective gas atmosphere until the application of the insulating coating in order to prevent the formation of a new oxide layer on the surface of the electric conductor. 
     
     
         3 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas plasma for bombarding the electric conductor is a low-pressure plasma. 
     
     
         4 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulating coating has a temperature resistance of at least 180° C. 
     
     
         5 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of polyaryletherketone [PAEK], polyimide [PI], polyamideimide [PAI], polyetherimide [PEI], polyphenylene sulfide [PPS] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one insulating layer is a polyaryletherketone [PAEK] selected from the group consisting of polyetherketone [PEK], polyetheretherketone [PEEK], polyetherketoneketone [PEKK], polyetheretherketoneketone [PEEKK], polyetherketoneetherketoneketone [PEKEKK] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating layer has a thickness between 10 and 1000 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating layer can be produced by means of an extrusion method. 
     
     
         9 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         10 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 9 , wherein the insulating coating consists of one insulating layer or two insulating layers or at least two insulating layers. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one further insulating layer made of thermoplastic material is applied to the insulating coating, wherein the at least one further insulating layer is not applied under a protective gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         13 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 12 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one further insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of polyaryletherketone [PAEK], polyetheretherketone [PEEK], polyimide [PI], polyamideimide [PAI], polyetherimide [PEI], polyphenylene sulfide [PPS] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulating coating has at least one fluoropolymer layer, 
       and the plastic-containing intermediate layer which is applied directly to the surface of the electric conductor consists of the fluoropolymer layer. 
     
     
         18 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 17 , wherein the fluoropolymer layer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE] or perfluoroethylene propylene [FEP]. 
     
     
         19 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 17 , wherein the thickness of the at least one fluoropolymer layer is between 1 μm and 120 μm. 
     
     
         20 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 17 , wherein the entire insulating coating is applied to the electric conductor under-protective gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         21 . An insulated electric conductor, comprising an electric conductor having an insulating coating, wherein the insulating coating either comprises
 at least one insulating layer made of thermoplastic material,   
       or
 at least one insulating layer made of thermoplastic material and 
 a plastic-containing intermediate layer, 
 
       further comprising that an oxide layer formed on a surface of the electric conductor is removed by bombardment of the electric conductor with ions of a protective gas of a protective gas atmosphere in a gas plasma, 
       and subsequently either
 the at least one insulating layer is applied directly 
 to the oxide-layer-free surface of the electric conductor 
 
       or, in case the coating comprises the plastic-containing intermediate layer, at least the plastic-containing intermediate layer is applied directly to the oxide-layer-free surface of the electric conductor. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 21 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of polyaryletherketone [PAEK], polyimide [PI], polyamideimide [PAI], polyetherimide [PEI], polyphenylene sulfide [PPS] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 21 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one insulating layer is a polyaryletherketone [PAEK] selected from the group consisting of polyetherketone [PEK], polyetheretherketone [PEEK], polyetherketoneketone [PEKK], polyetheretherketoneketone [PEEKK], polyetherketoneetherketoneketone [PEKEKK], and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 21 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         28 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 27 , wherein the insulating coating consists of one insulating layer or two insulating layers or at least two insulating layers. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one further insulating layer of thermoplastic material is applied to the insulating coating, wherein the at least one further insulating layer is not applied under protective gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         31 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 30 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one further insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of polyaryletherketone [PAEK], polyetheretherketone [PEEK], polyimide [PI], polyamideimide [PAI], polyetherimide [PEI], polyphenylene sulfide [PPS] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A method for producing an insulated electric conductor, which comprises the following method steps:
 bombarding an electric conductor which is arranged under a protective gas, with ions of the protective gas in a gas plasma in order to remove an oxide layer formed on the surface of the electric conductor and/or to increase the surface energy of the electric conductor;   applying an insulating coating to the surface of the electric conductor, wherein the insulating coating comprises either   at least one insulating layer made of thermoplastic material,   
       or
 at least one insulating layer made of thermoplastic material and 
 a plastic-containing intermediate layer, 
 
       wherein either
 the at least one insulating layer is applied directly to the surface of the electric conductor under protective gas atmosphere 
 
       or, in case the coating comprises the plastic-containing intermediate layer, at least the plastic-containing intermediate layer is applied directly under protective gas atmosphere to the surface of the electric conductor. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of polyaryletherketone [PAEK], polyimide [PI], polyamideimide [PAI], polyetherimide [PEI], polyphenylene sulfide [PPS] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one insulating layer ( 3 ) is a polyaryletherketone [PAEK] selected from the group consisting of polyetherketone [PEK], polyetheretherketone [PEEK], polyetherketoneketone [PEKK], polyetheretherketoneketone [PEEKK], polyetherketoneetherketoneketone [PEKEKK] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the at least one insulating layer is extrusion-coated. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the electric conductor is brought to a temperature of at least 200° C. before the application of the insulating coating. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the insulated electric conductor is cooled after the extrusion-coating of the at least one insulating layer depending on the achievable strength of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the insulated electric conductor is guided via rollers after the extrusion-coating of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the insulating coating consists of at least two insulating layers and the insulating coating is produced by tandem extrusion under a protective gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to one  claim 46 , wherein at least one further insulating layer of thermoplastic material is extrusion-coated onto the insulating coating by means of tandem extrusion, wherein the extrusion of the at least one further insulating layer does not take place under protective gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the at least one further insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of polyaryletherketone [PAEK], in particular polyetheretherketone [PEEK], polyimide [PI], polyamideimide [PAI], polyetherimide [PEI], polyphenylene sulfide [PPS] and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the insulating coating comprises at least one at least one fluoropolymer layer 
       and the fluoropolymer layer is applied as a plastic-containing intermediate layer of the insulating coating under protective gas atmosphere directly to the surface of the electric conductor. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 ,
 wherein at least one fluoropolymer layer and the at least one insulating layer are produced by co-extrusion or tandem extrusion.   
     
     
         53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one insulating layer has a thickness between 10 and 1000 μm. 
     
     
         55 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one insulating layer has a thickness between 10 and 1000 μm. 
     
     
         56 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one insulating layer can be produced by means of an extrusion method. 
     
     
         57 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one insulating layer can be produced by means of an extrusion method. 
     
     
         58 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 5 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         59 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 6 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         60 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 23 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         61 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 24 , wherein the insulating coating consists of the at least one insulating layer. 
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the at least one insulating layer is extrusion-coated. 
     
     
         63 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the at least one insulating layer is extrusion-coated. 
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the electric conductor is brought to a temperature of at least 200° C. before the application of the insulating coating. 
     
     
         65 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the electric conductor is brought to a temperature of at least 200° C. before the application of the insulating coating. 
     
     
         66 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 1  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         67 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 5  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         68 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 6  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         69 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 21  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         70 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 23  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         71 . The insulated electric conductor according to  claim 24  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         72 . The method according to  claim 39  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 40  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         74 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the electric conductor is made of aluminum or copper.