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Silver-Based Filler Silicone Rubber Composites for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Applications
Yilin Liu1, Zhe Chen1, Jinlei Qu1
1Engineering Research Center for High Performance Polymer and Molding Technology, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao 266042, China.
Polymers
|July 28, 2026
Summary
This study compares silver-plated copper and aluminum fillers in silicone rubber for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Multilayer structures with mixed fillers significantly enhance EMI shielding effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Electromagnetic interference (EMI) poses challenges for electronic devices and information security.
- Effective EMI shielding materials are crucial for mitigating interference and ensuring data integrity.
- Developing high-performance, flexible EMI shielding solutions remains an active research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically compare silver-plated copper (Cu@Ag) and silver-plated aluminum (Al@Ag) fillers with distinct morphologies for EMI shielding applications.
- To investigate the influence of filler morphology and multilayer sandwich architecture on shielding efficiency and material properties.
- To develop advanced EMI shielding materials through rational design and combination of fillers.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of flake-like Cu@Ag and spherical Al@Ag fillers into silicone rubber matrices using Rheomixer blending, open-mill compounding, and peroxide vulcanization.
- Fabrication of single-layer and multilayer sandwich-structured composites.
- Characterization of EMI shielding effectiveness across the X-band frequency range (8.2-12.4 GHz).
Main Results:
- Flake-like Cu@Ag fillers demonstrated superior low-loading performance compared to spherical Al@Ag fillers.
- Both single-layer Cu@Ag and Al@Ag composites achieved >90 dB shielding effectiveness at 250 phr filler loading.
- Sandwich-structured composites achieved ~110 dB shielding effectiveness, a ~33% improvement over single-layer composites at 200 phr.
Conclusions:
- Filler morphology and interfacial contact significantly impact EMI shielding performance.
- Multilayer architectures combining fillers with contrasting morphologies and conductivity enhance shielding effectiveness through multiple wave interactions.
- Rational design of multilayer composites offers a powerful strategy for developing high-performance flexible EMI shielding materials.
