Excellent electromagnetic interference shielding performance of polypropylene/carbon fiber/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites

In this study, we investigated the mechanical, DC conductivity, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene (CNC) nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing technique using a twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding. This combination of CF and MWCNT improved the tensile strength and modulus of the nanocomposites by up to 31.14% and 60.14%. The percolation behavior helped to improve the DC electrical conductivity from 2.07 x 10(-10) to 9.58 x 10(-2) s/cm. The CNC nanocomposites exhibited shielding effectiveness of 51.9 dB at maximum filler loading in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz) for a 2 mm thick sample. In addition, efforts have been made to develop a compatible EMI shielding material using multiple fillers.