INNOVATION September-October 2022

F E A T U R E

APPLICATIONS APLENTY Besides sensing, due to its high

electrical conductivity and its ability to shield things from electromagnetic waves, the product can be used in a multitude of applications in a wide variety of industries. One that shows great promise is the shielding industry. “It’s a multi-million-dollar industry,” Arjmand said. “There are strict regulations for the electronics industry so electromagnetic interference, or EMI, doesn’t affect people or the machinery they work with. Electromagnetic waves are everywhere in the public life too. As the number of sensitive electronics in our modern era increases, it is required that they all are covered with a protective shield so their performance is not disrupted. The health of human beings and other living species due to electromagnetic waves (consider 5G and 6G technologies) is also at stake. Then there is the aerospace sector, which would benefit greatly from this application. This fall, UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering has its first cohort of students enrolled in its brand-new aerospace option. “Even the tiniest amount of EMI can affect the performance of their equipment,” Ghaffarkhah said. “We are working on a shield, using this technology, that would absorb everything, not just reflect it. With the existing shielding technology, if an electromagnetic wave comes toward a piece of equipment or machinery, some is reflected back, some is absorbed, and some penetrates through and affects the equipment. The part that is reflected can still affect sensitive equipment,” Arjmand said. Ghaffarkhah also sees multiple applications in medicine. “If you have some sort of implant inside your body, like a pacemaker, they are very sensitive to EMI. This could be

Ahmadreza Ghaffarkhah uses a 3D printer to output the polymer material. P HOTO : UBC O KANAGAN

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