EMI shielding behaviors of Ni-coated MWCNTs-filled epoxy matrix nanocomposites

Abstract Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were nickel (Ni)-plated chemically to enhance the electrical performance, resulting in an increase in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency (SE) of the Ni-MWCNTs-reinforced epoxy matrix nanocomposites. The micro-structural and morphological properties of the Ni-MWCNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The surface characteristics of the Ni-MWCNTs and the EMI SE of the Ni-MWCNTs/EP composites were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and a vector network analyzer, respectively. From these results, the addition of the MWCNTs in the EP matrix led to an increase in the EMI SE of the composites. The higher Ni content on the MWCNTs of the Ni-MWCNTs/EP composites showed a better EMI SE. This indicates that the presence of Ni on the MWCNTs can lead to a good EMI SE due to the EMI adsorption behavior of the metal particles.