Electronic devices typically use metals such as aluminium or copper to protect against electromagnetic interference (EMI), but as devices get smaller and more complex, more lightweight solutions are needed. CarbonX combines high impact resistance with uniform conductivity. But can its shielding capabilities compete with other metal and polymer composite solutions on the market? This short video shows CarbonX® in action…
The Challenge
Polymer composites containing metals or conductive carbons could offer a cheaper and more lightweight alternative to conventional EMI protection. However, for lightweight applications, most cannot provide enough conductivity without compromising impact resistance, or vice versa.
A Faraday-inspired Set-up
The idea behind this demonstration was to see what happens to the wireless signal on a mobile, which uses electromagnetic frequencies, when it is placed inside a box made with PA6 and CarbonX®. The box was also sealed using an adhesive paste which also contained CarbonX®. A signal analyser app on the mobile was used to monitor and record the WIFI signal as the mobile was placed inside the box.
Competitive EMI Shielding Capabilities
Shielding effectiveness is typically measured in decibels, a ratio of wave intensity and field strength. During the demo, you can see that the WIFI signal analyzer shows a reading of 60 decibels when the phone is outside of the box, and it drops by about 20 decibels after the mobile is placed inside.
Because it’s on a logarithmic scale, a reduction of 20 decibels means that CarbonX® was able to reduce EMI by about 100 times – proving it can offer EMI shielding effectiveness that is competitive with metals and polymer composite solutions that are currently on the market.
Want to learn more about our solutions? Check out our latest business cases for conductive plastics here. Are you attending the Compounding World Expo this year? Meet us there! For more information, click here.