Thermal behaviour and EMI shielding effectiveness of ABS/Cu-fibre/Sn-particle novel composites designed for selective laser-surface activation and direct electroplating

The present paper reports on the characterization of novel functional polymer composites based on ABS, incorporating conductive metallic fillers in the form of copper fibres and tin powder with a total loading of up to 25 vol%. The developed materials demonstrate the capacity for selective current-induced metallization subsequent to laser irradiation. The present work, however, emphasizes the effect of the copper fibre-to-tin powder ratio on the mechanical, thermal, dielectric, and electromagnetic shielding properties of the composites. The experimental methodology included dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrical and electromagnetic performance evaluation. Increasing the tin content resulted in a higher storage modulus, enhanced relative permittivity, and improved electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. These trends are attributed to the improved dispersion of tin particles within the ABS matrix and the contrasting geometries and physical properties of the fillers. The findings demonstrate that tuning the Cu/Sn ratio can offer an effective strategy for the design of polymer composites for electronic applications, particularly for devices requiring electromagnetic interference shielding and integrated selective electroplating metallization following laser modification.