Chapter 13 - Carbon fiber-reinforced composites for EMI shielding

Abstract

This chapter introduces the fabrication and applications of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials based on carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced composites. It is clear that good EMI shielding efficiency and mechanical properties are needed for lightweight housing materials of electronic devices. CFs have been used as an important reinforcement material in the fabrication of high-performance composites. Among various conductive fillers, CFs have been proven to be good candidates for EMI shielding applications. CF-reinforced composites are considered excellent materials for the electronics industry, for lightweight devices, and have been applied in real housings of notebooks, cameras, and mobile phones. The EMI shielding properties of CF-reinforced composites are determined by various parameters. The main variables are the type of CFs, the reinforcing form (content and length of the fiber) of CFs, surface coating on CFs (metal coating, multimetal coating, etc.), and synergetic effects produced by various hybrid fillers. This chapter provides an introduction to the fabrication and properties of various CF-reinforced composites for EMI shielding. In particular, the effect of various surface treatment techniques on EMI shielding characteristics will be described in detail. Furthermore, various applications of CF-reinforced composites for EMI shielding are also introduced.