Dow Performance Silicones will deliver a presentation at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona about conductive materials for advanced technologies in communications, transportation, and consumer devices. As the long-established leader in thermally conductive silicones, Dow is now developing advanced silicone solutions that combine electrical conductivity with protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) – a growing challenge for engineers. The presentation, titled “Conductive Materials: The Next Chapter of an Innovation Powerhouse,” will be given by Dorab Bhagwagar, senior product development specialist, and Rogier Reinders, global marketing director, on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CET in NEXTech Theatre F, Hall 8.0.

“Advanced technologies such as 5G networks, electric and autonomous vehicles with their many sensor configurations, and consumer devices for the Internet of Things (IoT) present electrical engineers with a host of challenges,” said Reinders. “At MWC Barcelona our presentation will describe how silicone-based solutions, with their highly-tunable properties, offer key advantages over other types of conductive materials. Dow is well-known as the leader in thermally-conductive silicones, and for both its technical knowledge and application expertise. We’re also a partner and an innovator that’s meeting the needs of our customers by entering the EMI shielding market. We invite those who are working on IoT consumer devices, advanced sensors, and 5G communications equipment to attend our presentation as we highlight thermally conductive solutions and premiere Dow’s electrically conductive EMI elastomers.”

Electromagnetic interference that can disrupt circuits and limit electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is a growing challenge for designers of printed circuit board (PCB) architectures and modules for consumers, communications and transportation. As electronics become more compact and have fewer components, higher-density packaging increases the risk of interference or electromagnetic pollution. Designers must also account for a proliferation of connected devices that can interfere with each other. 5G networks that are increasing the amount and rate of data transfers, increased regulations, and critical applications – such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – that need zero-defect performance also represent significant engineering challenges.

In addition to its EMI shielding capabilities, Dow will showcase the company’s broad and growing portfolio of thermally-conductive silicone technologies, which include bare die solutions that are becoming increasingly popular with designers of graphics processing units (GPUs). The company will spotlight its novel gap filler technology, a thermal gel with high conductivity for wireless telecommunications infrastructure that needs to support the higher power densities required by the spectrum of 5G frequencies.

Dow will highlight two of its new thermally-conductive silicone technologies:
• DOWSIL TC-3015 Thermal Gel is a one-part, heat cure, silicone-based material with good re-workability. This innovative material can be peeled off easily, completely and without residue during the rework process.
• DOWSIL TC-5888 Thermally Conductive Compound combines excellent thermal management with a flow profile that enhances productivity. This thermally-conductive material facilitates the design of slimmer, smaller devices that need to deliver higher performance and functionality.

Dow’s portfolio of silicone technologies for applications in the consumer, communications and transportation industries is available worldwide.