Electromagnetic interference properties of carbon nanofiber–reinforced acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate/natural graphite composites

Acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate/natural graphite/carbon nanofiber composites (ASA/NG/CNF) were prepared using a melting blending method. The effects of CNFs on the morphology, rheological properties, dynamical mechanical properties, electrical resistivity, and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) were studied using a scanning electron microscope, a rotational rheometer, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The addition of CNFs changed the oriented and laminated structure of the ASA/NG composite. The flexural strength of the ASA composite reached a maximum at 6% CNF, and then it began to decrease. The addition of CNFs did not alter the glass‐transition temperature of ASA, but it largely increased the storage modulus of the composite in DMA tests. In the rheological measurements, the complex viscosity and storage modulus of the composite increased as CNF content increased, and the resistance to creep of the composites was significantly increased by the addition of CNFs. The electrical resistivity of the ASA composites decreased from 49.8 Ω cm to 2.3 Ω cm as the CNF content was increased from 0 to 12%. At the same time, the EMI properties of the composites rose from 15 dB to 30 dB in the frequency range 30–1500 MHz. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45455.