As cellular telephones and all kinds of electronic systems become ubiquitous, the problem of electromagnetic interference increasingly concerns manufacturers.

Radio frequency waves from wireless devices, such as cellular phones, tend to interfere with those from digital computers and devices, such as calculators. That can result in problems ranging from minor disruptions to disastrous losses of information.

Engineers at UB have developed a new material that provides better shielding against electromagnetic interference than any materials currently on the market. Nickel-coated carbon filaments are embedded in a polymer matrix. By reflecting and absorbing radiation, composite materials can shield electronic systems from electromagnetic interference.

The researchers note that when filaments are used in these materials, they are most effective when they are very thin and demonstrate low electrical resistivity. "By using nickel to coat carbon filaments that are less than a micron-one millionth of a meter-in diameter, we have developed skinny filaments that shield as effectively as solid copper," said Deborah D.L. Chung, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Niagara Mohawk Chair of Materials Research at UB, and principal investigator.

Chung conducted the research with UB doctoral candidate Xiaoping Shui.

-Ellen Goldbaum, News Bureau Staff