Mechanical, Thermal and Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of MWCN-ABS Films

The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and the poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) (ABS) granulates are dispersed in acetone separately using a magnetic stirrer followed by ultrasonication. Further, both the solutions were mixed with magnetic stirring followed by ultrasonication. Neat-ABS film, 0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 1 wt% of MWCNT-ABS nanocomposite films of the average thickness of 140 µm are fabricated by the solution molding using a petri dish, followed by room temperature curing and further hot compression to maintain uniform thickness. The tensile properties, thermal stability, electrical conductivity, and EMSE of all films are investigated. The results indicate that the addition of MWCNTs to ABS enhanced the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and EMSE. The 0.25 wt% MWCNT-ABS nanocomposite films show attractive mechanical, electrical, thermal, and EMSE as compared to neat-ABS films. More than 0.25 wt% MWCNTs in the ABS matrix deteriorates the tensile strength. However, 0.5 wt% MWCNT-ABS nanocomposites exhibit better tensile strength, Young’s modulus, electrical conductivity, and EMSE than neat-ABS. In this research, we used a low quantity of MWCNTs and followed a one-time heating process in the entire fabrication, and produced MWCNT-ABS nanocomposite films with reasonable properties. Hence, this may be one of the options to produce nanocomposites suitable for EMS materials. We recommend that these films may be used as interlayers to develop an X-band range electromagnetic wave shielding material.