Collaborative Optimization of Electromagnetic Interference Shielding, Adaptive Multi-Color, and Thermal Camouflage of...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Basalt fiber fabric (BFF) offers desirable properties like light weight and durability but suffers from surface inertness and electrical insulation, limiting its use in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
• Existing limitations hinder the application of BFFs in demanding fields requiring robust shielding against electromagnetic radiation and thermal flux.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a gradient functionalization strategy for fabricating polychromatic BFFs with enhanced EMI and thermal shielding performance.
• To investigate the mechanisms behind improved shielding effectiveness through plasma activation, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical plating, and post-annealing treatments.
• To achieve multifunctional BFFs with tunable structural colors for potential applications in thermal camouflage and radiation protection.

Main Methods:

• A multi-step functionalization process involving plasma activation, ALD TiO2 bridging, nickel chemical plating, and post-annealing treatments was employed.
• Surface hydroxyl groups were enriched via plasma and ALD TiO2 to facilitate dense nickel coating, forming conductive networks for EMI shielding.
• Annealing temperature modulation was used to induce interfacial reconstruction and achieve thin-film interference for structural coloration.

Main Results:

• The functionalized BFF exhibited an exceptional EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 53.47 dB, maintaining performance across a wide temperature range.
• Vivid structural colors were achieved by controlling annealing temperatures, demonstrating potential for chromatic engineering.
• Enhanced thermal shielding was observed due to the high refractive index of TiO2, Ni, and NiO layers, leading to significant infrared radiation reflection.

Conclusions:

• The proposed gradient functionalization strategy successfully created multifunctional basalt fiber fabrics with superior EMI and thermal shielding capabilities.
• The developed materials show significant promise for applications in electromagnetic shielding, thermal management, and thermal camouflage.
• This work provides a new pathway for designing advanced shielding materials with tunable optical properties and expanded applications in radiation protection.