Novel Composite for Automotive Electronic Components

Background

Powder Processing & Technology, LLC was presented with a patented novel EMI absorbing composite material that would be used to make distributed networks in automotive electronics and consumable electronics as well. The purpose of this material development was for suppression of electromagnet/radio (EMI/RFI) interference. With proper metallization, surface mount or feed-through filter elements could be fabricated with attenuation characteristics continuing out to gigahertz frequencies. Several patents had been filed for this composite material and its unique component design by customer, the R&D Center of one of big three US automotive manufacturing companies.

Solution

Although customer developed the composite material, it was all in bench-top lab scale. Customer did not have scale up equipments and did not have industrial powder processing technology, either.

PPT had established good reputation in manufacturing of quality NiZn ferrite powders when customer approached us. This was after they had been disappointed with one of component manufacturers who had powder facility and then was awarded a license to produce composite components.

As we had experienced in many occasions, the very first 30 lbs sample was qualified by customer, so we jumped on 500 lbs Pilot Plant scale production. The challenge was to be compatible to the counterpart material in composite. The counterpart material alone was already established in the market so changing in that material did not seem to be an option. However, customer decided to keep PPT's material and persuaded the counterpart into modifying their material compatible to the PPT's since ours showed superior characteristics that customer would not want to trade.

The process involved raw materials formulating, calcining, milling, and spray drying and then blending homogeneously with counterpart. PPT has been awarded a license to produce this novel composite material from this success.