A Review of Electromagnetic Shielding Fabric, Wave-Absorbing Fabric and Wave-Transparent Fabric

Abstract

As the basic materials with specific properties, fabrics have been widely applied in electromagnetic (EM) wave protection and control due to their characteristics of low density, excellent mechanical properties as well as designability. According to the different mechanisms and application scenarios on EM waves, fabrics can be divided into three types: EM shielding fabric, wave-absorbing fabric and wave-transparent fabric, which have been summarized and prospected from the aspects of mechanisms and research status, and it is believed that the current research on EM wave fabrics are imperfect in theory. Therefore, in order to meet the needs of different EM properties and application conditions, the structure of fabrics will be diversified, and more and more attentions should be paid to the research on structure of fabrics that meets EM properties, which will be conductive to guiding the development and optimization of fabrics. Furthermore, the application of fabrics in EM waves will change from 2D to 3D, from single structure to multiple structures, from large to small, as well as from heavy to light.

Fabric–Metal Barrier for Low Specific Absorption Rate and Wide-Band Felt Substrate Antenna for Medical and 5G Applications

“…In order to maximize the use of absorbing materials in the design of wave-absorbing materials, the metal substrate is typically added to the bottom of the material in order to achieve strong reflection. As shown in Figure 9, when transmitted waves strike the surface of a metal substrate, they are reflected back onto the wave-absorbing material for absorption loss [41]. As a result, radiation directed at the surface of the human body is significantly reduced, and the antenna's overall gain and front-to-back ratio also show improvements (FBR) [7,[33][34][35][36].…”

A tough, anticorrosive hydrogel consisting of bio-friendly resources for conductive and electromagnetic shielding materials

“…They are usually filled with conductive functional materials to make the inner form of the hydrogel conductive network show some EMI performance. 37,38 For example, Peymanfar 39 et al synthesized hydrogels from sodium tetraborate (Borax) and PVA using a simple hydrothermal method. The hydrogels were then filled with graphene oxide (GO) and graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) nanostructures as well as carbon microspheres (CMS) to confer electromagnetic shielding.…”

Ultralight and superelastic multifunctional PI composite aerogels with a nanofibrous‐laminar synergistic structure for highly efficient electromagnetic wave absorption

“…Coated fabrics can generally protect against intense electromagnetic waves, but such fabrics are thick and heavy, have poor permeability, and the coating is easily removed during use 10 . The air permeability of woven fabrics is excellent, but the fabric pores can cause poor impedance matching, which weakens the electromagnetic protection 11 . Therefore, the development of lightweight, soft, and comfortable electromagnetic protective materials is of great significance 12 …”

“…10 The air permeability of woven fabrics is excellent, but the fabric pores can cause poor impedance matching, which weakens the electromagnetic protection. 11 Therefore, the development of lightweight, soft, and comfortable electromagnetic protective materials is of great significance. 12 Numerous nano-absorbing materials (e.g., carbon materials, ferrite, and ceramic-based materials) have been successfully developed and applied as electromagnetic protective materials.…”