Effect of conducting fillers in natural rubber nanocomposites as effective EMI shielding materials

Abstract

An economical and effortless method for the production of flexible shielding material for feasible application has gained remarkable attention since the massive spread of technologies has notably marked up the electromagnetic pollution, which will cause interference or malfunctioning of electronic devices. Traditionally Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding is achieved by using a metal screen to absorb it. But metals have low impact resistance, high density and are susceptible to corrosion, polymer nanocomposites with magnetic nanofillers become a radical alternative to this. Rubber based nanocomposites have considerable importance since they bear excellent multifunctional applications. The conductive fillers incorporated in the polymer matrix give out the advance functions like light weight, corrosion resistance and tailored coefficient of thermal expansion and ease of processing. In the class of magnetic materials that possess broad applications in technology, Polyaniline (PAni) gain much attention and cannot be replaced by any other magnetic material because they are less expensive, stable and widely used in high-frequency applications. Ferrites, belonging to ferromagnetic material which cannot be easily replaced by any other material as they are economic for a wide range of applications and ease of fabrication into complex shapes. Thus the use of hybrid fillers based on various combinations will be a possible solution for improved shielding effectiveness as well as the mechanical properties of nanocomposites.