Textile Fabrics as Electromagnetic Shielding Materials—A Review of Preparation and Performance

Abstract

Shielding of instruments and humans from electromagnetic interference (EMI) has become increasingly important during the last decades due to more and more machines and devices radiating electromagnetic waves. While several applications can use rigid shields, more flexibility is enabled by developing bendable, drapable, ideally even stretchable EMI shielding. Textile fabrics can have these properties, combined with potentially good mechanical properties, depending on the textile structure and the chosen material. On the other hand, the necessary physical properties, especially conductivity and magnetic properties, cannot be taken for granted in normal textile fabrics. These properties have to be added by conductive yarn or layer coatings, integration of conductive or magnetic fibers, producing intrinsically conductive or magnetic fibers, etc. The article gives a critical comparison of the properties of materials typically used for this purpose, such as intrinsically conductive polymers, metal-coated fabrics and metal wires, MXene coatings, MXene fibers, carbon coatings, and fibers. The review concentrates on thematically suitable papers found in the Web of Science and Google Scholar from the last five years and shows that especially MXenes are highly investigated recently due to their high conductivity and EMI shielding effectiveness, while other conductive and magnetic coatings and fibers are nevertheless still interesting for the preparation of EMI shielding textile fabrics.

Pristine and Coated Carbon Nanotube Sheets—Characterization and Potential Applications

“…Electromagnetic interference (EMI) overall is a problem for most electronics. Currently, metals are the most used materials for electromagnetic shielding of radio and microwaves [18][19][20][21][22]. Metal foils, mesh, wires, coatings, or particles can be used.…”

“…Textiles are not natural EMI-shielding materials, but they can be modified to be electrically conductive [22]. In a study [19], conductive fillers, consisting of silver-and nickelcoated carbon fiber filler (Ni/CF), multi-wall powder CNTs, and polypyrrole nanoparticles (Ppy) were applied to fabrics individually and in combination.…”

“…If there are no charges inside a closed metal surface, then the electric field inside the metal surface is zero everywhere. A Faraday cage or Faraday shield (conductive cover or mesh enclosure) is used to block electromagnetic fields [18][19][20][21][22] and protect sensitive electronic equipment from EMI. They are also used to protect people and equipment against actual electric currents such as lightning strikes and electrostatic discharges, since the enclosing cage conducts current around the outside of the enclosed space and none passes through the interior.…”

Composites of Non-Woven Poly p-Phenylene Terephthalamide and Fe3O4-Decorated Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanosheets Coated with Ag Nanoparticles for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

“…According to the Schelkunoff theory, an effective conductive network is essential to shielding EM waves through reflection or absorption . While carbonaceous materials like carbon nanotubes and graphene possessing low density can form conductive networks in polymer composites, − metals, including silver nanoparticles/nanowires and copper, as conductive network materials are beneficial when improving SE owing to their intrinsic high electrical conductivity. , Two-dimensional (2D)-layered materials, including graphene and MXene nanosheets, have attracted much interest due to their multiple interface reflection and absorption capacity. , …”

Preparation of Porous Silver Nanowires‐Melamine Formaldehyde Hybrid Composite Materials and Their Electromagnetic Shielding and Flame‐Retardant Properties

“…Through the design of structure and adjustment for raw material, the EMI shielding materials have been capable to partially fulfil the requirements in civil and military equipment. Among them, a variety of novel nanomaterials and nanostructures based on carbon nanotube (CNT), [3,4] MXene Ti 3 C 2 T x , [5,6] metal nanowires, [7,8] and so on have been successfully prepared, which have displayed superior EM shielding performance.…”