Morphology, conductivity, thermal stability and electromagnetic radiation shielding study on Cu, Cu-Ni coated polyester fabric and polyester mesh

The flexible electromagnetic wave shielding material research is one of the attractive research topics. The literature reveals that thermoplastics, elastomers and natural and synthetic fabrics are modified using conductive and magnetic fillers for shielding applications. In the present work, Poly (ethylene terephthalate) plain weaved fabric (PETF) and PET fiber mats (PETM) are coated with copper (Cu), copper-Nickel (Cu-Ni) and designated as Cu-PETF, Cu-Ni-PETF and Cu-Ni-PETM. Further, all three samples were investigated, and Cu-Ni-PETF showed better electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and absorption dominating. Hence, it is recommended to use Cu-Ni coated PETF for lightweight polymer composites as reinforcements suitable for electromagnetic shielding encloses applications.