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2003 News Release

March 25  Product

March 25, 2003

 

Hitachi Metals Develops Halogen-Free, Highly-Efficient Electromagnetic Noise Suppression Sheets, Begins Mass Production
Joint Development with Sony EMCS Corporation


Hitachi Metals, Ltd. has jointly developed with Sony EMCS Corporation (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) the ABSORSHIELD™ K-E Series, a new type of highly-efficient electromagnetic noise suppression sheet that is free of environmentally harmful halogens, and combines exceptional flame retardancy with superior properties.
This groundbreaking sheet retains the high efficiency of conventional sheets even though no halogen is used, and omits no dioxins when incinerated.

Ni-Zn ferrite material that markedly reduces transformer noise
Halogen-Free, Highly-Efficient Electromagnetic Noise Suppression Sheets

1. The Development Process

The recent proliferation of electronic devices such as personal computers has accentuated the problem of controlling the electromagnetic noise of high-frequency waves emitted by these devices. The frequencies that electronic devices use are rising year by year as they become more sophisticated. The frequencies to drive CPUs in personal computers are approaching in the GHz band, as are many of the frequencies used by communication devices such as wireless LANs and Bluetooth™. The electromagnetic noise suppression sheet made of a mixture of soft magnetic materials and resins is one of the principal ways of controlling electromagnetic emissions in the GHz band.
Hitachi Metals manufactures and sells ABSORSHIELD™, a highly-efficient electromagnetic noise suppression sheet composed of a powdered form of Hitachi Metals' proprietary, high permeability*1 nanocrystalline soft magnetic Finemet™*2 mixed with a resin. This new product is being highly praised for its superior properties.
In general, flame retardancy is strongly desired in electric and electronic devices as a means of improving fire safety. Because electromagnetic noise suppression sheets use metallic powders that can easily ignite from overheating, they are usually mixed with a resin containing a halogen*3 with flame retardant properties. These halogens can release dioxins if improperly incinerated. With the recent increase in environmental awareness, there is increasingly strong demand for environmentally friendly halogen-free products.
In response to this market demand, Hitachi Metals, along with Sony EMCS Corporation developed a halogen-free resin that maintains its flame retardant properties even when mixed with metallic powder, and refined the proper compound. The result was the K-E series, which retains the superior electromagnetic noise control properties of our previous ABSORSHIELD™ products while being both halogen-free and flame retardant. Hitachi Metals soon began preparing for mass production and providing sample materials.
According to our own research this is the first product in the industry to combine superior electromagnetic noise control properties with halogen-free flame retardancy. We expect that it will be widely adopted for use in products in the information home appliance and communication fields.
Hitachi Metals will continue to use its extensive base in materials technology to actively develop environmentally friendly products.

2.Product Overview and Special Features

ABSORSHIELD™ is a highly-efficient electromagnetic noise suppression sheet with exceptional flame retardancy, composed of a powder form of Hitachi Metals' proprietary nanocrystalline soft magnetic Finemet™ mixed with a halogen-free resin. Its principal features are:
(1) Halogen-free composition that is environmentally friendly
(2) Flame retardancy certified to UL94 V-0*4 (UL File No.210819)
(3) Magnetic properties and noise control efficiency equivalent to our previous ABSORSHIELD™ products
(4) Flexibility for easy handling
(5) Easily cut into a variety of shapes

3. Standard Specifications

(1) Dimensions 210mm x 297mm
(2) Thickness 0.25mm, 0.50mm
(3) Magnetic Properties Complex relative permeability*5 real component fE^r' of over 7.5 at 1GHz and imaginary component fE^r" of over 8.0 at 1GHz
(Applicable to elongated roll type and diecut products)

4. Applications

All types of electronic devices, including personal computers, digital cameras, car navigation systems. Applying the material to the flat cables, upper parts of integrated circuits, between circuit boards, LCD components and the inner walls of casings of electronic devices reduces interference of radiation noise between boards and components, and noise emitted from the device.

5. Patents

15 patent applications submitted (3 registered)

6. Sales Projections

Fiscal 2003 ¥0.5 billion
Fiscal 2004 ¥1.2 billion
Fiscal 2005 ¥2.0 billion

7. Manufacture and Sales

Manufacture: Finemet Business Development Division, FM Plant (Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture)
Sales: Finemet Business Development Division

8. Upcoming Exhibition

Hitachi Metals will display ABSORSHIELD™ and other products at the 16th EMC Japan 2003 Exhibition, to be held at Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center) from Wednesday, April 16 through Friday, April 18. Hitachi Metals' booth will be in Exhibition Hall 8, Booth No. 5403.


Inquiries:
Press Inquires: Public Relations Office Mr. Kobayashi
Tel: +81-3-5765-4079
Product Inquiries: Finemet Business Development Office Mr. Meguro
Tel:+81-3-5765-4055


Terms & definitions

*1 Permeability
Permeability μ = Magnetic flux density B / Strength of magnetic field H.
Permeability is a measurement of soft magnetism, expressing the ease that a material can be magnetized through application of an outside magnetic field. A greater permeability is favorable, indicating better magnetization by a low level magnetic field.

*2 Finemet™
Finemet™ is a nanocrystalline alloy with superior soft magnetic properties, a proprietary product of Hitachi Metals and the first of its kind to be developed. Its principal properties include high permeability (easily magnetized), high magnetic flux density (strong magnetization), and low core losses (little heat emission for little loss).

*3 Halogens
Halogen is the general term for a group of nonmetallic elements of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine, located in Group VIIB of the periodic table. Halogen gasses are toxic, but it is the oxyhalogen compounds generated by halogens, such as dioxin, that are especially harmful to the environment.

*4 UL94 V-0
UL (Underwriter's Laboratories Inc.) is a U.S. underwriting agency, a nonprofit organization established in 1894 that conducts the country's most authoritative safety testing and certifications. Many of UL's standards have been adopted by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute), and are closely watched. UL94 is widely used as a measure of flame retardancy for materials. The classes of UL94, in descending order of stringency are 5VA, 5VB, V-0, V-1, V-2 and HB.

*5 Complex Relative Permeability
In an alternating current magnetic field, the magnetic flux density cannot keep pace with the changes in the magnetic field. Because the frequency of the magnetic waves lag, magnetic permeability is divided into the real component and the imaginary component . The real component represents a magnetic flux density with a frequency identical to that of the magnetic field, while the imaginary component is a measure that includes the frequency lag, and corresponds to the losses in magnetic energy. A larger imaginary component produces extremely effective noise control, especially at high frequency waves.
Hitachi Metals, Ltd.


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