NEC develops bioplastic composite for electronic applications
10 April 2007 – Japanese electronics group NEC Corporation has developed a new composite that uses the bioplastic PLA and tackles heat release issues in electronic devices such as mobile phones.
NEC claims the PLA-carbon fibre composite achieves higher heat conductivity than stainless steel. Used in the housings of electronic products, the material releases the heat generated from electronic parts through whole housing surfaces, and slows down the increase in the temperature of the housings near parts.
NEC has, for a number of years, been working on performance enhancements for PLA, including the use of kenaf as a natural fibre reinforcement. Mass production of these bioplastic composites is expected by the end of the fiscal year ending March 2009, when it will be used in housings of electronic products and other new applications.
In the case of the high heat composite, carbon fibre is cross linked with a unique biomass-based binder. The materials and processes have been developed at NEC's fundamental and environmental research laboratories.
The creation of a cross-linked structure of carbon fibre in the PLA achieves high heat diffusion. NEC says that with carbon fibre content of 10% the heat diffusion ability of the PLA composite is comparable to stainless steel, and with 30% carbon fibre heat diffusion is double that of stainless steel.
The material has good heat conductivity in the plane direction of the PLA resin board, which NEC says is a characteristic conventionally difficult to attain in metal boards.
