Investigation on Shielding and Mechanical Behavior of Carbon/Stainless Steel Hybrid Yarn Woven Fabrics and Their Composites

Abstract

This study investigates the shielding characteristics of carbon/stainless steel/polypropylene (C/SS/PP) hybrid woven fabrics and their composites in low frequency (50 MHz–1.5 GHz) and C band (4–6 GHz) regions. The hybrid yarns prepared from carbon and SS filaments using a direct twisting machine have been made into woven fabric samples using a sample loom. The composite has been made by sandwiching a hybrid yarn fabric between the polypropylene films in a compression molding machine at 180°C for 5 min. The shielding behavior of the fabric and the composites has been tested using a coaxial transmission holder for the low frequency range and a wave guide method for the C band frequency range. It has been observed that a 1 end float composite showed a higher SE of 81.4 dB than the 4 end float (76.2 dB) and the 8 end float composites (64 dB) at the low frequency region. However, at the C band frequency, the effect of fabric structures on shielding effectiveness (SE) of fabric composite depends on thread density. For example, at low thread density, (i.e.) 3.93 ppcm, the 8 end float fabric composite showed the highest SE of 22.7 dB than did the 4 end (20.4 dB) and the 1 end float (16.5 dB) fabric composite. However, at high thread density (6.3 ppcm), the case was the reverse. The 1 end float fabric composite showed the highest SE of 29.7 dB rather than 4 end and 8 end float fabric composites (25.9 dB). In addition, all the composites showed less SE than their fabric forms. The increase in thread density also increased the shielding behavior of composites in both frequency ranges. A nonlinear regression model was developed using the Box–Behnken design for predicting the shielding behavior of fabric composites in C band region. In addition to shielding behavior, mechanical strength of C/SS/PP hybrid yarn, the fabric and composite has been tested using a Zwick Roell tensile tester. It has been observed that the work of rupture of C/SS/PP hybrid yarn is higher (6830.3 g.cm) than the carbon, stainless steel and PP filaments. In the case of the tensile behavior of a composite, 8 end float fabric composites showed highest tensile strength of 6990 N rather than 4 end float (6484.4 N) and 1 end float fabric composites (4804.9 N). The developed C/SS/PP composite can be used as shielding panels for attenuating radio and microwave frequencies.