Tapping into the Power of Advanced Conductive and Magnetic Polymer Nanocomposites
Electrical devices radiate electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) occurs when these waves interfere with a device’s own operation or the operation of nearby devices, causing them to malfunction. Depending on their severity, EMI effects are rated as: technical defect, economic loss, economic damage or disaster. Depending on their severity, they can lead to significant financial and human burdens for an organization, or even a country.
Given the proliferation of sensitive electrical devices in various industries and the corresponding increase in generated electromagnetic waves, shielding electromagnetic waves has become a major challenge for a range of sectors—from consumer electronics to the automotive, aerospace, defense, health care, information technology and telecommunications sectors.
EMI shielding is now a multi-billion-dollar industry globally, and is projected to grow quickly over the coming decade. Canada and the United States possess a substantial share of the global EMI shielding market owing to the heavy use of electronics in these countries’ high-tech industries.
Dr. Mohammad Arjmand, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Materials and Polymer Engineering, is developing advanced conductive and magnetic polymer nanocomposites for the next generation of electromagnetic shields. Building on Arjmand’s expertise in nanomaterials synthesis, polymer processing and multifunctional polymer nanocomposites development, he and his research team are focusing on shields whose properties will be superior to those of current metallic shields in terms of weight, cost, corrosion resistance and design options.
Ultimately, Arjmand aims to develop new products that will satisfy the EMI shielding requirements for electrical devices in several key industry sectors, including aerospace, automotive and defense.