Enhancing electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness for radiation vulcanized natural rubber latex composites containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes and silk textile

This work investigated the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), electrical conductivity (sigma), and mechanical properties of radiation vulcanized natural rubber latex (RVNRL) with varying amounts of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and silk textiles for use as flexible EMI shielding materials. The results indicated that 14-kGy gamma irradiation on NRL successfully initiated crosslinking between NR chains. The results also indicated the increases in MWCNT content increased sigma, EMISE, and hardness, but decreased tensile strength and elongation at break of the composites. Furthermore, silk textile inserted in MWCNT/RVNRL composites could further enhance both sigma and EMISE, while maintaining the strength of the materials at higher MWCNT contents, which previously tended to decrease with increasing MWCNTs. Specifically, the maximum EMISE in this work was obtained by using 6-phr MWCNT content and the insertion of silk textile in RVNRL composites (similar to 8 [19] dB for a 2-mm [8-mm] thickness at 300 MHz).