19 Jul 2004
LNP INTRODUCES NEW STAINLESS-STEEL-FILLED COMPOUNDS FOR EMI SHIELDING, ENHANCED IMPACT PERFORMANCE
CUSTOM-COLORABLE FARADEX® COMPOUND ELIMINATES PLATING, CONDUCTIVE PAINTS, METAL SHIELDS; PROVIDES HALOGEN-FREE FLAME RETARDANCE
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — LNP Engineering Plastics, a GE Advanced Materials company, today 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 fibers, in a custom-colorable, halogen-free flame-retardant (FR) package. It is available from the company worldwide.
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 fibers – which make up one to two percent by volume and 10-20 percent by weight – during plasticization to help maintain the fiber 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 -45 C), 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 metallization. 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 metallization 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 molding 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 fiber, the stainless steel fiber 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-colored 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 fibers, and LEXAN EXL resin has given us the impact strength our customers require. T
Reader enquiries
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Helen Vandebovenkamp
helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com
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Fax: +31 164 29 10 66
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Notes for editors
GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:
• 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 (https://www.geplastics.com).
• 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 (https://www.gesilicones.com).
• Quartz provides high-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries (https://www.gequartz.com).
• GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at https://www.ge.com.
FARADEX and LEXAN are registered trademarks of General Electric Company.
UL is a registered trademark of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
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