Biomimetic Nanoaerogel – The Lightest Material For Electromagnetic Shielding
Shielding electromagnetic waves is a chronic problem for many types of industries. A new solution is an ultra-light and highly porous hybrid aerogel made from cellulose nanofibers and nano-wires silver or of titanium carbide.
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The current world is literally filled with electromagnetic waves. Many engineers who build electronic devices spend a lot of time figuring out how to shield the electromagnetism from affecting the devices. Some options exist, but most of them are based on metals making them somewhat impractical.
Gustav Nyström from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) and his colleagues developed a new incredible material that successfully blocks a wide range of the electromagnetic radiation. This material is based on an aerogel and it seems to be the by far lightest material ever which can effectively shield from electromagnetic waves.
Good shielding can be very important for the effectiveness of many electronic devices. If the shielding is non-existent then the electromagnetic radiation can – for example – can affect the signal transfers or can even prevent some electronic components from working altogether.
The team from EMPA thus decided to start researching alternative materials that could bring us lighter and more practical solutions for shielding. The research brought them to cellulose nanofibers. These nano-fibers were than combined with silver nanowires to create a very light and highly porous aerogel with a density of just 1.7 milligrams per cubic centimeter. Yet the materials seem to provide excellent shielding against electromagnetic radiation. The arrangement of the cellulose nano-fibers is similar to the cellulose structure in a cellular wall making it biomimetic.
The shielding from the new aerogel is caused by the cellulose nano-fibers and silver nano-wires. But the porous properties of the aerogel also plays a role. When the electromagnetic radiation gets to the pores secondary electromagnetic fields get created which further shield electromagnetic radiation.
The combined effect of the structure and the makings of the aerogel allows it to shield practically all electromagnetic radiation between 8 and 12 GHz – the frequencies used by high-definition radars. And this should tell you about the possible uses for this material. We will hear more about shielding aerogels.
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