ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE | COMPOUNDS
Sensing a bright future for conductive plastics
Increasing penetration of sophisticated electronic technology in sectors such as automotive is driving interest in electrically conductive plastic compounds, writes Chris Saunders
Electrically conductive plastic compounds are not altogether new — they are well established in static management applications and are used in the automotive sector to simplify painting of plastic parts — but the growing dependence on electronic equipment in areas such as automotive driver assistance systems is opening up new safety-critical opportunities for materials capable of shielding sensitive devices from stray electromagnetic interference. Compared to metals — which provide very good shielding — plastics offer benefits such as light weight, design flexibility and inherent corrosion resistance. However, formulating conductive plastics compounds does present challenges. Dispersing the conductive fillers can be problem- atic and this, together with the high loading levels required, can limit both conductivity and physical properties. And some conductive fillers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, can be very expensive. However, active research and development continues apace and efforts to unlock new applications across industries including electronics, aerospace, healthcare, as well as automotive are ongoing.
Making engineering plastics electrically conduc-
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tive is a key strength of specialty compounder Witcom, which is part of the Netherlands-based Wittenburg Group. “We use the most suitable conductive additive to confer the desired overall end properties,” says Christine Van Bellingen, Business Development Manager, Conductive Compounds. “Conductive carbon blacks, perma- nent anti-static additives (to make coloured parts) or recycled carbon fibres, remain key selections. We can easily match the ongoing needs for ATEX compliance in applications including safety personal protective equipment, fluid connectors, and transport belts [and] specifically designed ATEX compounds often combine flame retardancy with electrical conductivity.” Electric vehicles (EVs) are seen as a prime
opportunity for electrically conductive compounds. There were an estimated 26m EVs on the road worldwide in 2022 but, according to the Interna- tional Energy Agency (IEA), this is set to rise to more than 200m by 2030. “There has been a lot of interest in our new
generation of EMI shielding compounds where the latest addition is a flame retardant PBT compound,” Van Bellingen says. “Our specially designed PA6, PPS and PBT compounds can match adequate
January/February 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 37
Main image: Demand for electrically conductive plastic com- pounds is on the rise across industries from automotive to medical
diagnostics
IMAGE: PREMIX GROUP
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