Rubber Phantom
On the Trail of Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation from mobile communication devices permeates the air. And it affects our bodies. Whether it harms us is a matter of some dispute, but to rule out the possibility, such devices have to be tested on “phantoms.” Ideally, such models ought to resemble the human body even more than is currently the case. Scientists at Asahi Rubber Inc. in Fukushima (Japan) have devised a new phantom based on WACKER silicone.
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Naofumi Otsuki is responsible for the rubber phantoms at Asahi Rubber Inc. in Fukushima, Japan.
The “rubber phantom” represents an average Japanese male – 30 years old and 165 cm tall – but with a skeleton made up of glassfiber-reinforced polymer wrapped in WACKER specialty silicone rubber.
There are ten such phantoms at Asahi Rubber Inc., the Fukushima-based manufacturer of industrial rubber. They will be used by cellphone manufacturers to measure the strength of electromagnetic radiation emanating from their products. Radiation emitted by cellphones is usually measured with the aid of special head models. But since many Japanese use their phones not only to make calls but also to send emails,
cellphone manufacturers must test the influence of electromagnetic radiation on whole-body human models.
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In the lab, Asahi Rubber experts transform WACKER silicone into a high-tech material.
Black As Coal - More Than Just Color
The phantoms are black as coal. The color arises when manufacturers mix carbon nanotubes and carbon black into WACKER’s ELASTOSIL® M4641J base silicone rubber. The resultant nanoparticles improve the silicone’s properties and transform the three-cm-thick layer of black rubber into an almost perfect copy of human tissue – at least as far as electromagnetic radiation is concerned. The phantoms are useful models for a manufacturer. They facilitate the development and design of a new product before it is launched onto the market.
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Naofumi Otsuki from Asahi Rubber and Tomoaki Tsukui from WACKER (right) with a phantom.
The new phantoms enable measurements that were previously impossible. For example, the impact of radiation when several devices are held in your hand. Plus, the whole-body phantoms provide reproducible measurement data that can be transferred to the entire human body.
The older phantoms used only for head radiation measurements are filled with liquid – not a very practical option for whole-body models. Alternatively, ceramic versions exist, but they are very heavy and inflexible. For testing purposes, manufacturers need one mannequin for sedentary email writers and another for strollers.
Mr. Average, with his lightweight black skin of three-cm-thick WACKER rubber, solves these problems and is already being used by cellphone manufacturers, research facilities and universities.