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STAINLESS-STEEL-FILLED COMPOUNDS FOR EMI SHIELDING, AND ENHANCED IMPACT PERFORMANCE
19 July 2004 - GE Advanced Materials
| LNP Engineering Plastics has introduced a new grade in its growing family of electro-conductive Faradex compounds. The new product – Faradex DS-1003 FR HI compound – combines the toughness, high impact strength, and excellent flow characteristics of Lexan EXL resin with the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of stainless steel fibres, in a custom-colourable, halogen-free flame-retardant (FR) package.
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Faradex DS-1003 FR HI compound offers both EMI shielding and electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties. It is highly effective against electromagnetic radiation sources, providing EMI attenuation between 20-60 dB, a range that satisfies most electronics and telecommunications applications. The new grade is specially formulated to achieve balanced dispersion of the steel fibres – which make up one to two percent by volume and 10-20 percent by weight – during plasticisation to help maintain the fibre length/diameter (L/D) ratio for an optimal conductive network for shielding effectiveness. Excellent impact resistance has been achieved by using GE Advanced Materials’ Lexan EXL polycarbonate (PC) resin as the new Faradex compound’s base resin. This tough PC material maintains impact strength at both elevated and low temperatures (9 KJ/m2 at -45C), offering high flow and a good balance of high-performance properties. It has been formulated with a halogen-free flame retardant in compliance with Blue Angel and TCO’98 green requirements resulting in a UL 94 V0 flammability listing at thicknesses of 2.1 mm. Traditionally, electronic devices have been shielded from EMI energy by installing thin metal shields or by using conductive paint, electroless plating, or vacuum metallisation. However, each of these approaches has had its challenges. Metal shields are often difficult to use in complex configurations and add weight and thickness at a time when the trend is toward lighter, smaller, thinner devices. While paint, plating, and metallisation add minimal weight and thickness, they are applied via secondary operations that can be costly. Because the new FARADEX DS-1003 FR HI compounds use stainless steel, the new product not only deflects but also conducts electromagnetic waves, providing more effective and permanent shielding. It can offer weight reduction vs. metal shields, cost reduction vs. surface treatments, plus greater effectiveness in complex designs – all in a single moulding step. Faradex DS-1003 FR HI compound is targeted at a variety of electrical and electronics applications, such as local-area-network (LAN) connection boxes, traffic-control systems, credit-card payment devices, cash dispenser components, and smoke detector housings. The new grade is also an excellent candidate for chassis and enclosures for notebook and desktop computers, servers, workstations, and flat-panel displays. Versus other conductive compounds that use carbon black or carbon fibre, the stainless steel fibre used in Faradex DS-1003 FR HI compound can deliver superior aesthetics to such applications and is less abrasive to tooling.
The new product also meets the chemical resistance requirements of Telecordia, NEBS, and European Telecom Standards. As a world leader in the development and manufacture of specialty polymer compounds, GE offers a number of conductive polymer lines. Its lead brand is the fully compounded, pre-coloured Faradex family of compounds. Products in this family are generally isotropic compounds, reducing warpage concerns, with a shrinkage rate similar to their unfilled base resins. Other properties are dependent on the base resin used. “With Faradex DS-1003 FR HI compound, we’ve solved two challenges with one product,” said Nitin Apte, global product manager, GE Advanced Materials. “EMI is effectively shielded thanks to the stainless steel fibres, and Lexan EXL resin has given us the impact strength our customers require. The chemical resistance, conductivity, excellent flow, non-halogen FR, and other outstanding properties this new product provides are icing on the cake.”
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About: GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicone-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:• Silicones, which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offers silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, resins, and elastomers for a variety of industries such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, foam control, and consumer (http://www.gesilicones.com/gesilicones/am1/en/home.jsp); • Plastics is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, which serves customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, appliances, automotive, building and construction, data storage and optical media, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications, computers and peripheral devices, outdoor vehicles and devices, and packaging (http://www.geplastics.com/); • Quartz produces high purity materials for the semiconductor, fiber optic, lamp making and water purification industries. GE Quartz is a leading supplier of quartz materials to the semiconductor industry (http://www.gequartz.com/en/index.htm); Established in 1968, GE Advanced Materials’ Specialty Film & Sheet business is a leading supplier of high-performance engineering film and sheet products to the United States, Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and operates a worldwide network of sales, research, manufacturing and technical services facilities. Today, GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet employs about 600 people, and manufactures engineering sheet and film products at 12 facilities in 9 countries worldwide. Recent investments:
• 2003 New Roofing Structures Line in Italy, Europe
• 2003 New Coating Lines in China & Malaysia, Pacific
• 2002 Acquisition of Plastech, China
• 2001 New Film Lines in USA and Europe
• 2001 Acquisition of Carboron, Malaysia
• 2000 Acquisition of Matraplast, Canada
• 2000 Acquisition of Nim Plastics, USA Products:
GE Advanced Materials offers a variety of film materials are to meet different type of applications such as graphic film, coated products, electrical & electronic products, and specialties. The key film materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate film
• Ultem* film
• Lexan* SLX film
• Valox* film
• Lexan* Illuminex* film GE Advanced Materials’ sheet product line includes a wide range of structures from solid sheet, multi-wall sheet and corrugated sheet through to coated sheet and laminates and combinations of each of these. The key sheet materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate sheet
• Lexan* Solar Control IR sheet
• Margard* coated sheet
• Lexgard* laminated sheet
• Ultem* sheet
• Lexan EXL* sheet GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet, serves customers in a variety of industries including aircraft, appliances, automotive, building and construction, business machines, electrical & lighting, furnishing, greenhouse, industrial roofing, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications and packaging. In January 2004, in line with GE Corporate’ new brand architecture, GE Advanced Materials has announced the change of GE Structured Products business naming to GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet. |
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• For July 2004
• From GE Advanced Materials
• For Engineering Plastics
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