Scalable production of flexible and multifunctional graphene-based polymer composite film for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding

Abstract

Graphene have gained significant interest for potential in lightweight, ultrathin, and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials due to their high electrical conductivity, low density, and ability to dissipate electromagnetic waves, but its poor dispersibility and processability hinders its applications. Besides, there is an urgent need for EMI shielding materials with multifunctional features. Herein, we proposed a flexible graphene/carbon nanotubes/polyurethane (GC/PU) composite film with a dense three-dimensional multilayer structure. This resultant GC/PU film shows high tensile strength of 42.9 MPa, ultra-high conductivity of 2087.2 S/m, and X-band EMI shielding efficiency of 37.7 dB at a thickness of 130 μm and even higher value of 72.1 dB at 520 μm. Moreover, this GC/PU film demonstrates an excellent electric heating performance (surface temperature of 127.5 °C at 5.0 V, thermal response <20 s) and flame-retardant capability, which endows it with the capability of anti-icing/de-icing. Therefore, this work may provide a promising approach for developing high-performance EMI shielding composites that may be used in the areas of wearables, defense, and aerospace.