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A Comparison of Conductive Coatings for EMI Shielding Applications
The increasing importance of conductive coatings for EMI shielding has resulted from the greater use of plastic materials in product design. Because plastics are nonconductors and are transparent to electromagnetic waves, the incorporation of a conductive coating has become an important method of providing EMI shielding to digital electronic products manufactured using plastic enclosures.
Characteristics of Alternative Conductive Coatings
Conductive coatings technology, designed to provide EMI shielding for plastic enclosures and various electronic parts, has evolved with the demands of the marketplace over the last 10+ years. Conductive coating technology today has made important strides in improving its performance in order to meet the needs of the manufacturers of electronic products.
Cost Comparison of Conductive Paint to Electroless Coatings
The differences that exist between the technologies for a given application can favor one process over another, but the differences are normally based upon legitimate reasons that are application specific and tilt the cost elements in one direction or another.
Design for EMI Control
In the selection of an EMI coating method there are several very important considerations. These include: its durability; its inherent surface conductivity; capabilities; the uniformity and dimensional tolerance control which can be achieved; adhesion of the coating to the plastic part; recyclability of the part; and the impact of environmental exposure to the integrity and electrical properties of the coating over time. In today's marketplace, it is essential that the coating process which is selected provide assurance of reliability over an extended period of time.
Electroless Plating for EMI Control
Electroless shielding backs based on an autocatalytic chemical plating process which produces a pure, continuous and uniform coating of metal to achieve EMI shielding of plastic electronic enclosures.
EMI Shielding Theory and Concepts
The incorporation of plastics into many of today's electronic product designs has contributed to the EMI shielding problem since plastics are non-conductors and transparent to electrical energy. Thus, electromagnetic energy will pass freely through, unless a shield is included.
ENSHIELD® and ENSHIELD PLUS® Electroless Shielding Technologies
Electroless plating of plastics can be achieved with a "conventional process" which provides plating over the entire part. This is known as the ENSHIELD® process. Selective plating of plastics for EMI shielding is achieved using the ENSHIELD PLUS® process.
Performance of Alternative Conductive Coatings
In the evaluation of the performance of conductive coatings for EMI shielding, the most important properties include electrical conductivity and attenuation. Furthermore, it has become very important to consider the ability of a given conductive coating to retain these properties after environmental testing.
Thermoplastic Part Design
There are a number of fundamental criteria which need to be incorporated into plastic part designs to insure a high quality, low stress result. Attention to these design criteria is essential to achieving reliable electroless plating.
Yellow Card Recognitions
QMSS2 Yellow Card Recognitions : ENSHIELD® ENSHIELD® "C" (Complete Coverage) and ENSHIELD Plus®/ENSHIELD Plus® "C" (Selective Coverage: Water-borne Basecoat)