Bifunctional Structural Regulation of Polymer Composites for High-Efficiency Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Heat...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Composites
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Heat accumulation from electromagnetic interference (EMI) threatens electronic device stability.
• Integrating broadband electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) and high thermal conductivity (TC) is essential but challenging in polymer composites due to conflicting structural requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To overcome the structural design contradiction between TC and EMA performance in polymer composites.
• To develop a novel strategy for constructing a 3D bifunctional network for enhanced material properties.

Main Methods:

• Controlled selective distribution of functional particles (boron nitride, carbon fiber, carbonyl iron) within a styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymer.
• Construction of a continuous TC network and segregated EMA units.
• Electromagnetic simulations to analyze impedance matching.

Main Results:

• Achieved a continuous boron nitride (BN) based TC network and segregated carbon fiber (CF) and carbonyl iron (CIP) based EMA units.
• Resultant composites exhibited a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 9.4 GHz.
• High thermal conductivity of 3.855 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ was recorded, surpassing most reported composites.
• Electromagnetic simulations confirmed enhanced impedance matching due to the wave-transparent TC network.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a viable strategy for creating high-performance EMA composites with excellent TC.
• The developed bifunctional network offers a promising solution for commercial applications requiring robust electronic components.