Enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding properties of silicon carbide composites with aligned graphene nanoplatelets

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were successfully incorporated into silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic matrix in a self-aligned pattern and the obtained materials displayed extremely high value of shielding effectiveness (SE) over 40?dB by adding only 3?wt.% GNPs, which was the highest SE value in all SiC-based composites reported in literature up to now. It was found that the texture distribution of GNPs was crucial to achieve the high electromagnetic interference shielding performance of SiC/GNPs composites, which can contribute to the significant improvement of both absorption and reflection. The improved absorption originated from the formation of network of mini capacitors comprised of self-aligned GNPs and multiple reflections. The improvement of reflection was attributed to the high electrical conductivity of the composite due to the introduction of GNPs. These results indicate that SiC/GNPs composites can be used as high-performance ceramic-based EMI shielding materials.     

Mechanical and electromagnetic shielding properties of carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites

Carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites (C_f/SiC) were fabricated through chemical vapor infiltration. Effects of SiC content on the mechanical and electromagnetic properties of the as-prepared materials were studied systematically. The high volume fraction of SiC matrix is beneficial to the transfer of load to carbon fiber. With the increase of SiC content from 21.5 to 42.2 vol.%, the total porosity decreases from 38.5 to 17.8 vol.%, the flexural strength and fracture toughness of C_f/SiC increase from 38 ± 4 to 375 ± 10 MPa and from 6.2 ± 0.7 to 21 ± 0.3 MPa m^1/2. The electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of as-prepared C_f/SiC decreases from 43 ± 1.4 to 31 ± 1.1 dB over the frequency range of 8.2–12.4 GHz with the increase of SiC content. The decease of electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness is mainly attributed to the decline of absorption loss. With the increase of SiC content, the electrical conductivity of C_f/SiC diminishes, leading to the conspicuous drop of the conductive loss, which plays the key role in lowering the absorption loss of electromagnetic waves.     

Efficient fabrication of carbon/silicon carbide composite for electromagnetic interference shielding applications

Ceramic matrix composites are typically prepared by a costly, time-consuming process under severe conditions. Herein, a cost-effective C/SiC composite was fabricated from a silicon gel-derived source by Joule heating. The β-SiC phase was generated via carbothermal reduction, and the carbon fabric showed a well-developed graphitic structure, promoting its thermal and anti-oxidation stabilities. Owing to the excellent dielectric loss in carbon fabric, SiC and SiO₂ as well as the micropore structure of the ceramic matrix, the absolute electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI) effectiveness (SSE/t) reached 948.18 dB?cm²?g^-1 in the X-band, exhibiting an excellent EMI SE. After oxidation at 1000 °C for 10 h in the air, the SSE/t of the composite was only reduced to 846.02 dB?cm²?g^-1. The C/SiC composite promises the efficient fabrication of high-temperature resistant materials for electromagnetic shielding applications.     

Broadband electromagnetic shielding performance of carbon nanotube-carbon fibre/silicon carbide cross-scale laminated composites

A carbon nanotube-carbon fibre/silicon carbide (CNT-CF/SiC) laminated composite, with a density of 1.61 g/cm³, thickness of 2.7–3.0 mm and conductivity of 6.10 S/cm, was prepared by densifying a single layer with boron-modified phenolic resin and then welding it with resin-derived carbon layer by layer. This laminated composite was alternately composed of a relatively dense CNT buckypaper/SiC composite layer and a relatively porous three-dimensional needled CF felt/SiC composite layer. The CF felt with a laminated constructure produced a laminated substructure nested within the layers. Expanded graphite with laminated structures produced laminated substructures nested within the interfaces. The average total shielding efficiency values of the composites with 5 layers (CNT-CF/SiC-5), 4 layers and a CNT buckypaper/SiC composite layer on the top surface, and 4 layers and a CF felt/SiC composite layer on the top surface were 45.14, 37.70 and 38.85 dB, respectively, throughout the X-band and were 52.31, 45.56 and 43.54 dB, respectively, throughout the Ku-band. The transmission coefficient of CNT-CF/SiC-5 was as low as 10^?5?10^?6 orders of magnitude over the entire frequency range of 8.2–18 GHz except for very few frequency points. The optimal number of layers for this multilevel and multiscale laminated composite is believed to be 5.     

功能化碳纳米管/环氧树脂多孔复合材料制备及电磁屏蔽性能

以马来酸酐（MA）为功能性单体,通过自由基反应制备了马来酸酐功能化的多壁碳纳米管（MA-MWCNT）;以MA-MWCNT、环氧树脂、蓖麻油酸改性的四乙烯五胺固化剂、釉粉、水为原料,通过悬浮乳液聚合法制备了功能化碳纳米管/环氧树脂多孔复合材料。采用拉曼光谱、X射线衍射、红外光谱、X射线光电子能谱对功能化的碳纳米管进行了表征和测试。采用扫描电镜（SEM）、表面电阻测量仪、矢量网络分析仪对复合材料的表面形貌、电导率和电磁屏蔽性能进行了测试。结果表明：马来酸酐功能化单体的引入能够很好地改善碳纳米管的分散性能及材料的电磁屏蔽性能;随着碳纳米管含量的增多,复合材料的电导率增大,电磁屏蔽效能峰值增大,材料的电磁屏蔽性能增强;加入功能化的碳纳米管比加入未功能化碳纳米管的电磁屏蔽性能高,多孔复合材料比无孔复合材料的电磁屏蔽性能高。当加入功能化的碳纳米管的量为3%时,制备得到的多孔材料电磁屏蔽性能最佳,其电磁屏蔽性能峰值达到31.1dB。     

Electrical,rheological and electromagnetic interference shielding properties of thermoplastic polyurethane/carbon nanotube composites

Electrically conducting rubbery composites based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared through melt blending using a torque rheometer equipped with a mixing chamber. The electrical conductivity, morphology, rheological properties and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of the TPU/CNT composites were evaluated and also compared with those of carbon black (CB)‐filled TPU composites prepared under the same processing conditions. For both polymer systems, the insulator–conductor transition was very sharp and the electrical percolation threshold at room temperature was at CNT and CB contents of about 1.0 and 1.7 wt%, respectively. The EMI SE over the X‐band frequency range (8–12 GHz) for TPU/CNT and TPU/CB composites was investigated as a function of filler content. EMI SE and electrical conductivity increased with increasing amount of conductive filler, due to the formation of conductive pathways in the TPU matrix. TPU/CNT composites displayed higher electrical conductivity and EMI SE than TPU/CB composites with similar conductive filler content. EMI SE values found for TPU/CNT and TPU/CB composites containing 10 and 15 wt% conductive fillers, respectively, were in the range ?22 to ?20 dB, indicating that these composites are promising candidates for shielding applications. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Multiwalled carbon nanotube/cement composites with exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding properties

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/portland cement(PC) composites have been fabricated to evaluate their electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE). The results show that they can be used for the shielding of EMI in the microwave range. The incorporation of 15 wt.% MWCNTs in the PC matrix produces a SE more than 27 dB in X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz), and this SE is found to be dominated by absorption. Furthermore, the structural analysis, surface morphology and surface interaction of MWCNTs with PC matrix have been explored using XRD, SEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique.     

Toughening strategies of carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites with electromagnetic interference shielding properties

The effect of different toughening strategies on the mechanical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composite (PC/MWNT) for electromagnetic interference shielding was analyzed from the mechanical and fracture tests using linear elastic fracture mechanics. The effect of processing (injection and compression molding) and manufacturing (annealing) conditions in the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity has been studied. The classic electromagnetic theory predicts a shielding effectiveness around 40 dB for nanocomposites with 5 wt% of MWNT in the frequency range studied. These values make these compounds to be very interesting materials for potential applications as electronic housings. Therefore, a combination of cyclic form of polybutylene terephthalate addition and annealing strategies let to optimize flexural parameters and improve the flexural modulus of PC composites. The rheology results showed that the dynamic moduli and the viscosity grew with increasing MWNT content. A significant change in frequency dependence of the moduli was observed, with respect to pure PC, which indicates a transition from a liquid‐like to a solid‐like behavior. Finally, the morphological study proves that the composites display different toughening mechanisms as function of carbon nanotube quantity. This fact could explain the different fracture behaviors of materials. In summary, it has been proved that it is possible to obtain PC/MWNT nanocomposites with relatively high conductivity, minimizing the loss of mechanical properties, using processing techniques easily scalable at industrial level. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1938–1949, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Reflection and absorption contributions to the electromagnetic interference shielding of single-walled carbon nanotube/polyurethane composites

The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding of well dispersed single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/polyurethane composites was studied and the results show that they can be used as effective and lightweight shielding materials. The EMI shielding of the composite shows a reflection-dominant mechanism, while a shift from reflection to absorption was observed with increased SWCNT loading and frequency. This is explained using EMI shielding theory and the intrinsic properties of the components.     

Plastic composites for electromagnetic interference shielding applications

Research in the past eight years has established the ability of polymer composites made with sufficient electrical conductivity to be suitable as shields against electromagnetic interference (EMI). A number of conductive fillers have been used to produce such composites. These include carbon black, carbon fibers, metal fibers, metal flakes, and metal-coated glass fibers. Each filler offers its own set of advantages and disadvantages. An important aspect of developing polymeric composites for EMI shielding applications is measuring their shielding ability in areliable, easy-to-use test facility. Once a reliable test has been developed, basic data relating the bulk conductivity (or surface conductivity of coatings) can be generaated. The objective of this article is to discuss the relative utility of the different types of fillers commonly used, present an analysis of the utility of different testing approaches, and show data correlating volume resistivity with shielding effectiveness.     

Fracture properties of porous yttria-stabilized zirconia under micro-compression testing

Micro-compression tests were carried out on pillars of 60 μm in diameter, milled by plasma focused ion beam in porous Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) pellets. The fracture properties were determined over a wide range of porosities (33 %–63 %) for 8YSZ and at a given pore volume fraction of 63 % for 3YSZ. The mechanical properties determined from testing were reproducible thanks to the homogeneity of the microstructures. The Young’s modulus was estimated as a function of the porosity from the unloading curve of tests stopped before fracture. The experiments conducted until the total rupture allowed measuring the compressive fracture strength, which was found to decrease when increasing the porosity. Specimen tested and unloaded just before the total fracture were cross-sectioned by focused ion beam - scanning electron microscope. A transition was detected from a brittle behavior, with macro-cracks parallel to the direction of solicitation, to a diffuse damage with micro-cracks, when increasing the porosity.     

Carbon fiber reinforced composites from industrial waste for microwave absorption and electromagnetic interference shielding applications

Lightweight materials with hybrid microstructures are getting great attention in the area of electromagnetic wave absorption. In the present study, carbon fiber and fly ash reinforced composites are prepared by mixing them with ground granulated blast furnace slag, followed by compaction and sintering at 1000 °C under an argon atmosphere. Akermanite-gehlenite was observed to be the primary crystalline phase present in the prepared samples. Porous composites are obtained with the addition of fly ash and carbon fiber as they inhibit densification. The resultant microstructure has homogeneous carbon fiber dispersion and uniform fly ash anchoring on the matrix phase. This enhanced interface polarization, defect polarization, electron transportation, and impedance matching characteristics of the composites. Hence, the developed composites' microwave absorption and electromagnetic interference shielding properties exhibited an outstanding performance at low thickness with a reflection loss value of ?41.24 dB and total shielding effectiveness of 42.29 dB at the X-band.     

Processing conditions for electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness and mechanical properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene based composites

A conductive plastic was compounded in a twin screw extruder by incorporating conductive carbon fiber (CF) into an acrylonitrile-butadience-styrene (ABS) copolymer. The effects of various processing parameters prior to injection molding were investigated; then, the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), fiber length, processability, and mechanical properties of the composite were studied. Results showed that the EMI SE of the composite increased as the final fiber length increased. The longer final fiber was produced by feeding fibers into the ABS melt at 240°C and 60 rpm. A more conductive network was formed by adding lubricants to the composite to reduce fiber damage and increase fiber dispersion. The increase of the fiber content affected processability. When the fiber content was higher than 40 phr (parts per hundred resin) in the composite, the average fiber length shortened. This study shows that better shielding can be obtained by adding a fiber at a rate higher than 30 phr. The best shielding obtained is about 30 decibels (dB).     

Preparation of polyaniline/polyacrylate composites and their application for electromagnetic interference shielding

Polyaniline (PANI) deposited polyacrylate (PA) powders were prepared by chemical polymerization of aniline in hydrochloric acid with dispersed PA powders. The powders, after dedoped with ammonia water, were re‐doped with camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) to render them conductive, and conductive PANI/polyacrylate composite coatings (PANI/PA) were prepared by bead milling of these CSA‐doped PANI (PANI–CSA) deposited polyacrylate powders (PANI–CSA/PA). It was found that aniline was polymerized preferentially at the surfaces of the powders and PANI deposited powders were obtained as indicated by the scanning electronic microscopy images. The amount of deposited PANI increased with the aniline/polyacrylate weight ratio in feed, and no isolated PANI particles was found. UV–Vis and Fourier transformed infrared spectra indicated that the PANI layer was physically adhered to the PA powders, and not chemically. Conductivities of the PANI–CSA/PA powders and the PANI/PA coatings increased with the amounts of PANI–CSA and a percolation threshold of 0.2 and 0.3 was demonstrated, respectively. Electromagnetic interference shielding measurements showed that the shielding effectiveness of the PANI/PA coatings increased with PANI–CSA loadings, and shielding effectiveness as high as 60 dB can be achieved with the coatings. POLYM. COMPOS., 27:627–632, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Electromagnetic wave absorption and mechanical properties of silicon carbide fibers reinforced silicon nitride matrix composites

It is difficult for ceramic matrix composites to combine good electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties (reflection coefficient, RC less than -7 dB in X band) and good mechanical properties (flexural strength more than 300 MPa and fracture toughness more than 10 M P·m^1/2). To solve this problem, two kinds of wave-absorbing SiC fibers reinforced Si₃N₄ matrix composites (SiC_f/Si₃N₄) were designed and fabricated via chemical vapor infiltration technique. Effects of conductivity on EM wave absorbing properties and fiber/matrix bonding strength on mechanical properties were studied. The SiC_f/Si₃N₄ composite, having a relatively low conductivity (its conduction loss is about 33% of the total dielectric loss) has good EMW absorption properties, i.e. a relative complex permittivity of about 9.2-j6.4 at 10 GHz and an RC lower than ?7.2 dB in the whole X band. Its low relative complex permittivity matches impedances between composites and air better, and its strong polarization relaxation loss ability help it to absorb more EM wave energy. Moreover, with a suitably strong fiber/matrix bonding strength, the composite can transfer load more effectively from matrix to fibers, resulting in a higher flexural strength (380 MPa) and fracture toughness (12.9 MPa?m^1/2).     

聚酰亚胺PI／SiC纳米复合材料的制备及特性

通过熔胶-凝胶方法合成了用于电子封装的聚酰亚胺PI/SiC复合薄膜介电材料,并通过扫描电镜、透射电镜、红外光谱对复合薄膜进行结构表征。结果表明,聚酰亚胺PI／SiC复合材料是一种共聚物,是纳米SiC粒子均匀分散在PI基体中的复合材料体系。在4284A型阻抗分析仪上测量了材料的电容,并换算出相应介电常数,最低达ε=2．0。     

AAS/GPNs电磁屏蔽复合材料的制备及其性能

对石墨烯进行功能化改性,以丙烯腈-丙烯酸丁酯-苯乙烯共聚物(AAS)为基体,采用溶液分散法制备了AAS/功能化石墨烯(GPNs)复合材料,并研究了其性能。结果表明:GPNs与AAS基体融合性和结合力均较好;AAS/GPNs复合材料的耐候性远优于丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯共聚物/石墨烯复合材料;GPNs用量为0.5%(w)时,复合材料的拉伸强度为52.3 MPa,较纯AAS提高了36%;电磁波频率为2~18 GHz时,复合材料的电磁屏蔽效能均大于20 dB,能够满足商业产品的需求。     

Dielectric properties and electromagnetic interference shielding studies of nickel oxide and tungsten oxide reinforced polyvinylchloride nanocomposites

ABSTRACT

Polyvinylchloride (PVC)/nickel oxide (NiO)/tungsten oxide (WO₃) nanocomposite films were prepared via solution casting technique. The crystallinity, morphology, and the analysis of dispersion state of PVC/NiO/WO₃ nanocomposite was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dielectric studies of nanocomposite films were investigated and a maximum dielectric constant of 2.3 with dielectric loss (tan δ) of 2.4 was attained. The EMI shielding studies were carried out in the X and Ku-band frequency range (8 GHz-18 GHz). The maximum SE of 15.78 dB in X-band and 12.05 dB in Ku-band was achieved for 75/20/5 compositions of the PVC/NiO/WO₃ nanocomposite.     

Recent progress in synthesis,growth mechanisms,and electromagnetic wave absorption properties of silicon carbide nanowires

With the research and development of nanomaterials, one-dimensional (1D) nanowire structures have received a lot of attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Among them, silicon carbide nanowires (SiC NWs) have low density, excellent oxidation resistance, dielectric properties, and electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption properties, which can well meet the development needs of civilian equipment and military weaponry. SiC NWs have outstanding research and application potential in the field of EM wave absorption. However, comprehensive summaries of SiC NWs have not been available so far. Based on this, this paper reviews the research progress of SiC NWs microwave absorbing materials, various micro-morphologies of SiC NWs are introduced in detail, as well as diverse preparation strategies and multiple growth mechanisms are also stated. Ultimately, recent advances in research progress of SiC NWs and their composites in EM wave absorption are elaborated, along with the future research directions of SiC NWs in the field of EM wave absorption.     

Highly ordered porous carbon/wax composites for effective electromagnetic attenuation and shielding

We have demonstrated a highly ordered porous carbon (HOPC) as an effective electromagnetic absorber. The unique porous structures allow HOPC to possess high surface area and establish effective three-dimensional (3D) conductive interconnections at very low filler loading, which is responsible for effective electrical loss in terms of dissipating the induced current in the corresponding wax composites. Owing to the 3D porous frame, the wax composites with 1 and 5 wt% HOPC have shown effective bandwidth ∼2 and ∼4.5 GHz, respectively, which is considerably competitive to the performance found in the carbon nanotube- (CNT) and graphene-based composites of much higher filler loadings. This concept based on porous absorbers demonstrates more advantages in the fabrication of lightweight microwave-absorbing materials. Furthermore, the composite with 20 wt% HOPC has exhibited highly effective electromagnetic shielding performance up to 50 dB, which competes well with what has already been achieved in the composites embedded with CNTs and graphene. The fundamental mechanism based on electrical conductivity and complex impedance suggests specific strategies in the achievement of high-performance composites for electromagnetic attenuation and shielding.