Toyochem Co., Ltd. of the Toyo Ink Group has rolled out the new LIOTELAN™ line of highly flexible conductive and insulating sheet films. Mainly, the new sheet films are highly flexible with a high elongation of 500 percent. These films, which also exhibit high water resistance, are designed for the protection of electrical and electronic equipment.

Specifically, LIOTELAN shielding films are hot-press molded on to the electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise source on the printed circuit board (PCB). Accordingly, it forms a lightweight multi-layer shield with a more compact format than a metal shielding can. This gives component engineers higher design freedom to create electronic devices of lower profiles and lighter weights. At the same time, shielding effectiveness is not compromised. These films suit applications to wearable devices, wireless communications and other smart devices.

Traditionally, metals are commonly adapted as EMI shields due to their shielding effectiveness. Eventually, Toyochem engineers in Japan attempted to replace shielding metals. They applied the company’s own functional filler dispersion technology in the development of highly conductive fillers to improve EMI shielding performance. They also applied Toyochem’s polymer sheet conversion technology. As a result, this led to the creation of filler films that could be converted into flexible LIOTELAN sheet films with high shielding effect, water resistance, and mechanical durability.

Moreover, LIOTELAN sheets films fabricates multi-layer EMI shields by hot-pressing method. “An insulating sheet layer can be hot-press molded directly over electronic components attached to the substrate. A conductive layer is formed over the insulating layer using the same method. With LIOTELAN shielding films, device engineers can easily and speedily create lightweight, durable and effective EMI shields, without the need for soldering or a bulky can cover,” explains Hidenobu Kobayashi, technical manager at Toyochem.

“This new innovative product forms an ultra-thin shielding laminates of high flexibility, conductivity and insulation properties required by next-generation PCBs. In line with rising demand for components of lighter weight, lower profiles, and more durable and flexible materials, we expect to see the trend towards metals being replaced by polymer composites to continue,” says Kobayashi.

The new LIOTELAN line of EMI shielding sheet films made its global debut at the Toyochem booth #1016 at the International Microwave Symposium in San Diego, California, happening from June 11–16, 2023. At the show, Toyochem also featured its LIOELM™ TSS™ 500 series for next-generation high-speed communication devices among other high-performance materials designed to solve problems related to electromagnetic radiation and thermal conductivity.