Industrial-Grade Flexible Carbon Fiber Paper/MXene Composite Electromagnetic Shielding Material with Ultra-Large Area and Ultra-High Performance

Abstract

Paper-based composites are excellent choice for flexible electromagnetic shielding materials. Carbon fiber paper (CFP), with its excellent electrical conductivity and porosity, can be combined with various conductive materials to further improve electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities. However, the large-scale industrial application of CFP remains rarely explored and requires further research to optimize its overall performance for commercialization. MXene, a 2D material with metal-like conductivity, can significantly enhance electromagnetic wave (EMW) energy loss. This study investigates the effects of MXene concentration gradients and the number of sprayed layers on EMI shielding effectiveness of carbon fiber paper using a simple spraying process. The electromagnetic shielding composite paper is fabricated through a impregnation blending technique, while the correlation between the number of layers and EMI shielding efficiency is systematically investigated. Results show that a 7-layer composite paper achieves an average EMI SE of 78.23 dB in the X─band. The composite also exhibits excellent hydrophobicity, high tensile strength, flexibility, and ultra-lightweight properties. The surface density of the 7-layer assembly material is only 0.08546 g cm⁻². The straightforward preparation process of this electromagnetic shielding composite paper makes it highly suitable for industrial-scale production, demonstrating significant potential in aerospace, 5G technology, and other related fields.