Cellulose fibres covered with magnetic nanoparticles have been used to make ultrathin loudspeakers by researchers in Sweden. The material could provide a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to the polymers traditionally used in speakers.
The speaker membrane is only 50 μm thick
Conventional loudspeakers contain a bulky magnet that is becoming harder to incorporate into our ever-shrinking gadgets. A coil attached to the speaker membrane is essential for moving the membrane and creating sound waves but the force of this coil can also reduce sound quality. The biocomposite membrane developed by Richard Olsson, Lars Berglund and their teams at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm removes the need for a bulky magnet and enhances sound quality because there is no coil in contact with the membrane.
Read the full story at Chemistry World.
Cellulose Nanofibers Decorated with Magnetic Nanoparticles – Synthesis, Structure and Use in Magnetized High Toughness Membranes for a Prototype Loudspeaker
Richard T Olsson et al, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C3TC31748J
