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Updated: May 31, 2026
Application of a Coupling Agent to Improve the Dielectric Properties of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites
Published on: September 19, 2020
Inorganic nanotubes reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride composites as low-cost electromagnetic interference shielding
Varrla Eswaraiah1, Venkataraman Sankaranarayanan, Sundara Ramaprabhu
1Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory (AENL), Nano Functional Materials, Technology Centre (NFMTC), Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India. ramp@iitm.ac.in.
Abstract:
Novel polymer nanocomposites comprising of MnO2 nanotubes (MNTs), functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were synthesized. Homogeneous distribution of f-MWCNTs and MNTs in PVDF matrix were confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Electrical conductivity measurements were performed on these polymer composites using four probe technique. The addition of 2 wt.% of MNTs (2 wt.%, f-MWCNTs) to PVDF matrix results in an increase in the electrical conductivity from 10-16S/m to 4.5 × 10-5S/m (3.2 × 10-1S/m). Electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) was measured with vector network analyzer using waveguide sample holder in X-band frequency range. EMI SE of approximately 20 dB has been obtained with the addition of 5 wt.% MNTs-1 wt.% f-MWCNTs to PVDF in comparison with EMI SE of approximately 18 dB for 7 wt.% of f-MWCNTs indicating the potential use of the present MNT/f-MWCNT/PVDF composite as low-cost EMI shielding materials in X-band region.
