PROPERTIES OF POLYMER COMPOSITES WITH COPPER POWDERS OR FLAKES AS FILLERS

In this paper mechanical and electromagnetic properties as well as the structure of polymer composites based on several polymer matrices, [(ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), low-density polyethylene (PE-LD), linear low density polyethylene (PE-LLD), polypropylene (PP) and hard polyvinyl chloride (PVC)], filled with copper powders or flakes are presented. The studied materials were formed by extrusion of small beads of polymer mixed with the copper powders/flakes. The copper filler concentration ranged from 0.1 to 40 wt. %. The copper powders and flakes were obtained by potentiostatic or galvanostatic pulse electrolysis from industrial wastewaters as well as copper sulfate electrolytes. The control of the size and shape of copper flakes and powders was achieved by the application of appropriate time and values of current or potential pulse, respectively. The results of electromagnetic measurements performed using split post dielectric resonator method indicated that studied materials exhibit smaller than unity the effective magnetic permeability and relatively high effective permittivity, which is typical for metamaterials composed of dielectric and a metal. Also, for several polymer composites the correlations between selected mechanical and dielectric properties were found. Multilayered polymer composites with different filler content in particular layers were also studied. In this case the best measure of effective-ness of electromagnetic shielding is described by the quality factor. On the basis of the obtained data it was stated that materials made of two layers of polymer composites are the most promising in EMI applications.