Development of durable copper-coated ultralight weight nonwoven fabric: Focus on EMI shielding

Abstract

This study aims to develop the sol gel technique to enhance the durability of copper coatings on polyester nonwoven (NW) fabric while achieving effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. FTIR and XRD analyses confirm the successful silanisation of NW fabrics, while SEM imaging reveals uniform silane deposition on the copper-coated NW fabrics. The presence of silane directly impacts EMI shielding capabilities, making these treated NW fabrics highly promising for advanced applications. Durability assessments demonstrate that sol-gel coatings improve mechanical and environmental stability. Washing durability tests show that untreated fabrics lose up to 65% of EMI SE, whereas sol-geltreated fabrics retain their shielding properties. In conclusion, silane coating on conductive NW fabrics exhibits enhanced durability, effectively maintaining copper adhesion and EMI shielding under mechanical stress, washing, and chemical exposure.