Microwave Absorption of Natural Rubber Composites Based on PANI/CNT/Fe2O3 for Flexible Shielding Applications

Electronic devices and communication systems are highly susceptible to interference from unwanted electromagnetic waves. High-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding offers a solution to this issue. In this work, we discuss the design of an EMI shielding material composite using natural rubber (NR) filled with polyaniline (PANI), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), and ferric oxide (Fe2O3). Different properties of the material composite are studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We tested the EMI shielding efficiency of the developed material in the X band and the Ku band. The measurements revealed improved shielding effectiveness when compared to similar microwave shielding materials. In terms of flexibility and cost-effectiveness, this novel composite also proved to be a better alternative.