From simple cables and household appliances
to smartphones and Blu-ray players, many of
the latest devices created in the Electrical & Electronic sector
capitalize on new generation plastics.
Designers of
electrical and electronic applications rely
on plastics because of their unique features. These include
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Resource-efficiency: Polymers
can help storing energy for longer, while LCD (liquid crystal
display) flat screens made of liquid crystalline plastics use
over 65% less power than ordinary screens with cathode ray tubes.
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Light weight:
Touch-sensitive screens on tablets and smartphones
are created with films of polycarbonate In small appliances like
smartphones and MP3 players, the use of plastics has increased along
with the number of different polymer types being used. Smaller, lighter
handsets are made possible thanks to plastics.
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Resistance: The
insensitivity of plastics to electromagnetic radiation, combined with
their resistance to mechanical shocks, stress resistance, flexibility
and durability, makes them ideal for vital applications such as safe,
reliable and efficient power supplies.
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Reduced size: While
most plastics in electrical and electronic equipment
are visible, the latter also contain many plastics
components you cannot see. Nearly half of all the
plastics used in this sector are used in sheathing for cables and in
electronic components. |
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| Fire safety: In the
electrical and electronic equipment sector (EEE), where a fire can be
ignited from electrical sources, flame retardants offer a large range of
solutions for inhibiting ignition and are in widespread use. In most
cases, a given polymer requires a specific formulation for each possible
application. |
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Innovation: Thanks
to ambitious research programmes, plastics in the electrical and
electronic sector are contantly evolving. Lithium batteries, for
instance, can now be made from recycled
plastic bags. Plastic batteries made from conductive
polymers have the significant advantage of offering high power
with low weight. But plastic-related innovation also comes from
their optical properties. With polymers used
in optical switching, the flow of data can be
facilitated over long distances between one chip and another.
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