A new composite material developed by KIMS researchers absorbs over 99% of electromagnetic waves from different frequencies, improving the performance of devices like smartphones and wearables.
A team of scientists from the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has developed the world’s first ultra-thin film composite material capable of absorbing over 99% of electromagnetic waves from various frequency bands, including 5G/6G, WiFi, and autonomous driving radar, using a single material.
This novel electromagnetic wave absorption and shielding material is less than 0.5mm thick and is characterized by its low reflectance of less than 1% and high absorbance of over 99% across three different frequency bands.
Challenges in Electromagnetic Wave Absorption
Electromagnetic waves emitted by electronic components can cause interference, leading to performance degradation in nearby electronic devices. Electromagnetic shielding materials are used to prevent this, and absorbing electromagnetic waves is more effective at reducing interference than merely reflecting them. However, conventional electromagnetic shielding materials reflect over 90% of the waves, with an actual absorbance often as low as 10%. Moreover, materials with higher absorbance are typically limited to absorbing electromagnetic waves within a single frequency band.
Advancements in Multi-Frequency Absorption
To overcome these limitations, the research team developed a composite material that can absorb electromagnetic waves across multiple frequency bands simultaneously. This technology absorbs and eliminates electromagnetic waves, resolving secondary interference issues. The material is also thin, flexible, and durable enough to maintain its shape even after being folded and unfolded thousands of times, making it suitable for rollable phones and wearable devices.
Enhancements in Material Technology and Applications
The team, led by Dr. Byeongjin Park and Dr. Sang Bok Lee from the Composites & Convergence Materials Research Division at KIMS, synthesized a magnetic material by altering the crystal structure of ferrite, enabling it to selectively absorb desired frequencies. They produced an ultra-thin polymer composite film and incorporated conductive patterns on the film’s back side to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves. By adjusting the shape of the conductive pattern, electromagnetic wave reflection at specific frequencies can be dramatically reduced. A carbon nanotube thin film with high shielding properties was also applied to the back to further enhance the material’s electromagnetic wave shielding capabilities.
Senior Researcher Byeongjin Park of KIMS, who led the project, commented, “As the applications of 5G/6G communications continue to expand, the importance of electromagnetic wave absorption and shielding materials is growing.” He added, “This material has the potential to significantly improve the reliability of wireless communication devices such as smartphones and autonomous vehicle radars.”
Reference: “Absorption-Dominant Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding across Multiple mmWave Bands Using Conductive Patterned Magnetic Composite and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotube Film” by Byeongjin Park, Sosan Hwang, Horim Lee, Yeonsu Jung, Taehoon Kim, Suk Jin Kwon, Dawoon Jung and Sang-bok Lee, 28 May 2024, Advanced Functional Materials.
DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202406197
This research was funded by KIMS’ fundamental research projects and the Electromagnetic Solution Integrated Research Group (SEIF) under the National Research Council of Science & Technology. The findings were published as the cover article in the October 1st edition of the internationally renowned journal Advanced Functional Materials (first author: Dr. Byeongjin Park). The research team has completed domestic patent registration and has also applied for patents in the U.S., China, and other countries. Additionally, the technology has been transferred to several domestic material companies, and it is currently being applied to actual communication devices and automobiles.
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21 Comments
Yeah it’s just for phones and stuff like that. Has nothing to do with stealth coatings on AI killer drones or anything like that… Sleep tight.
Also, title says “all” whereas article says for “several frequency bands”.
So now every plane or ship can be stealth?
Please explain how 99% is “perfect”
Exactly. Anything under 100% is neither “perfectly” nor “all.” I just showed my 16 year old this article to help him learn how to treat news stories. “Trust, but verify.”
It has to be Graphine. An amazing product that can stop a bullet with ultra thin membrane. A world changing product.
This could spell HUGE trouble in the wrong hands.
Now there is a nice thing to cover one’s car with so that the cops can’t use their radar gadgets to book you for speeding…………and of course just think of the benefits of this stuff to the militaries of this world! Increased opportunites to bomb us to perdition.
Yes, I thought about putting in on my car… but then realised I’d probably be likely to get hit by autonomous vehicles using radar (Tesla) that would fail to ‘see’ me coming!
Tesla car does not use any radar.
The article’s title perfectly absorbs all clicks from Google News readers.
“There’s a sucker born every minute.” –P.T. Barnum
I can do better, know what, why shouldn’t I outdo them? I’ll make it to where it can recieve the signals from the microtubules in your cells.
The headline is a lie; it’s not perfect and it’s not all wavelengths. Sure you get some more clicks now, but I won’t come to this site again.
There sure are a lot of cry babies on this board about the title. Grow up children, only a fool takes everything literally. I’m super impressed that it has already made it to the production lines. Not sure what the limits on this technology is with regards to military stealth since they use a wide range of wavelengths which are substantially longer than the frequencies absorbed by this material. It’s possible that this method is only viable at the smaller amplitudes due to some physics principles that anyone but a specialist would be aware of. Over all a very cool article.
Exactly!
The title is completely wrong. Not just sort-of wrong. The most obvious electromagnetic frequencies it does not absorb are those of visible light – but it also does not absorb most of the wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Objecting to flat out lies in a supposedly scientific news website is not being a cry baby – it’s expecting honest behavior from people dealing with the sciences.
How much is it and where do I get it
hello world
hey human
these big tech giants want to give you a reality where you are a consumer and the create solutions and problems they want you to control even your survival they want to control the whole mechanism the only way to escape this to stop consuming and supporting the pure which extends human conciousness and not just expand consumerism its time to say no to consumerism
You’re not wrong!
I’m thinking about interconnect cables for high end audio applications…
Near complete RF shielding?
Am I reading this right?
Hey “human” Better wake up from your LA-LA LAND! Things are the way they are. It IS ashamed the way mankind abuses wonderfull technology for evil things. All we can do is cross our fingers!