Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Application of a Coupling Agent to Improve the Dielectric Properties of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites
Published on: September 19, 2020
Highly conductive and flexible polymer composites with improved mechanical and electromagnetic interference shielding
Mengting Chen1, Ling Zhang, Shasha Duan
1Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China. zlingzi@ecust.edu.cn czli@ecust.edu.cn.
New flexible and conductive materials (FCMs) combine quartz fiber cloth (QFC) and carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for enhanced strength and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. These materials show great potential for next-generation electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Composite Materials
Background:
- Flexible and conductive materials (FCMs) are crucial for advanced electronic applications.
- Existing materials often face limitations in mechanical strength, conductivity, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
- Developing novel composites with enhanced properties is an ongoing research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prepare and characterize new flexible and conductive materials (FCMs) based on quartz fiber cloth (QFC) reinforced multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-carbon aerogel (QMCA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS).
- To evaluate the mechanical properties, conductivity, and EMI shielding efficiency of the developed QMCA-PDMS composite.
- To investigate the potential applications of these novel FCMs in next-generation electronic devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of QMCA-PDMS composites using QFC, MWCNTs, carbon aerogel, and PDMS.
- Mechanical testing to determine tensile strength and modulus.
- Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) measurements in the X-band frequency region.
- Electrical conductivity measurements.
- Bending tests to assess durability and stability.
Main Results:
- The QMCA-PDMS composite with low MWCNT loading (∼1.6 wt%) exhibited high tensile strength (129.6 MPa) and modulus (3.41 GPa).
- Achieved significant EMI shielding efficiency (SE) of ∼16 dB, reaching up to 20 dB with 2 wt% MWCNTs.
- Demonstrated high electrical conductivity (1.67 S cm⁻¹) that remained stable after 5000 bending cycles.
- Outperformed composites without aerogel networks, showing substantial increases in strength, modulus, and EMI SE.
Conclusions:
- The developed QMCA-PDMS composite offers a promising solution for flexible and conductive material applications.
- The unique network structure of QMCA-PDMS composites is key to their enhanced mechanical and electrical properties.
- These FCMs possess significant potential for protecting electronics and enabling advanced devices like E-skin and robotic joints.
