The coronavirus pandemic appears to have not slowed down the roll out of fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology, and high-end polymers continue to play a key role in building out the infrastructure needed to realize the benefits of these ultrafast data networks.
5G roll-out gains pace with help of high-performance plastics
Ericsson, one of the world's biggest provider of telecom equipment, just issued a new report, revising upward yet again their estimates for the number of 5G mobile phone subscriptions around the world by the end of 2020 to 218 million. This is a sharp increase from their forecast of 190 million in June.
Additionally, the Consumer Technology Association’s U.S. Consumer Technology One-Year Industry Forecast predicts that 5G-enabled smartphones will contribute $43.8bn in revenues in 2021, up 296 per cent from this year.
Materials suppliers are working diligently to develop the resins and compounds needed to accommodate the high heat, durability and transparency specifications required.Clariant says its phosphorus-based flame retardants from the Exolit OP and Exolit EP lines have all the right characteristics for supporting the necessary properties. Available both as liquid processable product (Exolit EP) and very fine powders (Exolit OP), their high content of phosphorus offers high efficiency at low doses.
Kaneka Corp. has developed Pixeo IB, a super heat-resistant polyimide film for high-speed, high frequency 5G. Pixeo IB reduces the dielectric loss tangent in high frequencies down to 0.0025, the global best level for polyimide film.
Toray Industries Inc. has created a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) film that maintains the polymer’s dielectric characteristics, flame retardancy and chemical robustness while remaining thermally resistant at 40°C.
Dow Inc. recently introduced a one-part, thermally conductive gel developed to dissipate high amounts of heat away from sensitive electronic components. DOWSIL TC-3065 Thermal Gel easily fills gaps due to its excellent wetting ability and can replace fabricated elastomeric thermal pads that may fail to protect electronics from the high heat associated with 5G’s greater power densities.
SABIC says it plans to boost global production capacity for its specialty Noryl SA9000 polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin used in high-performance printed circuit boards that require copper-clad laminates (CCLs) used in 5G base stations. This latest expansion will nearly double regional production in Asia and increase overall Noryl SA9000 resin production in Asia tenfold vs. 2018 levels.
SABIC adds that its portfolio includes other specialized materials for 5G base stations, terminals and mobile devices, including LNP compounds and copolymers, Ultem resin, and NORYL resins and oligomers.
So, as the 5G revolution gets into full swing, plastics suppliers are at the forefront, helping to make it happen – many of which will be on display at CHINAPLAS 2021 in Shenzhen, 13-16 April.