Investigation of EMI and UV–IR shielding properties of wool and cotton/elastane nanocomposite fabrics

Abstract

In this study, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) and ultraviolet–infrared (UV–IR) shielding behavior of wool (WO) and cotton/elastane (CO/EL) nanocomposite fabrics have been investigated. The study aims to investigate the EMI and UV–IR shielding performance of the CO/EL and wool-based fabrics coated with carbon (C), graphite (Gr), and indium (In) nanocomposite layers. To produce nanocomposite fabric samples, these three materials were used in different compositions and the coating processes were carried out by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and thermal evaporation methods. Subsequently, the EMI and UV–IR measurements were performed for the coated fabric samples, and the results have been analyzed. In this study, it has been proven for the first time that the ECR coating method can be used for coating fabrics as a textile material. Finally, it is found that the C+Gr(grid filled)+In wool sample and the carbon-coated CO/EL sample have widely exhibited a significant positive effect on increasing the EMI shielding performance in the range of 18–43 and 12–18 GHz frequencies, respectively. In addition, the results show that the C+Gr(grid)+C-coated CO/EL fabric has significant potential to increase the UV–IR shielding performance.