Issue 31/2015 - New THERMOCOMP Composites Improve Base Station Component Design and Performance

SABIC HAS LAUNCHED A NEW SOLUTION
FOR BASE STATION ANTENNA MANUFACTURERS, ESPECIALLY IN-HOUSE COMPONENTS SUCH AS PHASE SHIFTERS, USING THE NEW THERMOCOMP COMPOSITE PORTFOLIO.
The composite is superior to the two materials currently commonly used – ceramics and PCBs
– in meeting certain specific performance requirements.
This series of new materials has been optimized for transmission conditions in the 900MHz~3GHz and higher frequency ranges, and can provide a variety of different combinations
of Dk (dielectric constant) and Ff (dielectric loss factor) properties.

According to Alan Tsai, Head of Consumer Electronics Technology and Innovation at SABIC's Innovative Plastics Business Unit, "In addition to meeting signal strength or signal range targets, because these materials are thermoplastic, they have higher design flexibility and manufacturing yield than other traditional materials, which can reduce system costs
.
" "SABIC offers materials that offer a better balance
of dielectric properties than ceramics and PCBs.

In addition, this thermoplastic material also has a variety of excellent mechanical properties, such as dimensional stability, low friction, flame retardancy, and stable Dk under certain climatic conditions (temperature from -40~55 °C, humidity 55%), which brings a series of advantages
to OEMs producing base station components.
At the same time, it can be made into complex geometries and small components, which cannot be achieved by ceramics or PCBs
.
（Susan）