Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Nylon-66 Nanofiber Interleaved Carbon Epoxy Composites

Frequency dependence of the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of carbon fiber epoxy composites have been investigated over the frequency range of 8-18 GHz. The effect of nylon-66 nanofiber interleaving on the shielding effectiveness of the multilayered quasi-isotropic composite has been examined for three different percentages of interleaving of nylon-66 nanofibers. Effect of γ-irradiation on the electromagnetic shielding efficiency has also been investigated. Though attenuation due to absorption is dominant in carbon fiber epoxy composites, it is observed that γ-irradiation helps in improving the attenuation due to reflection of the electromagnetic waves. The observed variations in the EM shielding of the composites are explained on the basis of the measured attenuation of EM radiations by absorption and reflection. The investigation has highlighted the usefulness of the carbon fiber epoxy composites, which are traditionally used in mechanical strength applications, for electromagnetic shielding in the range of microwave frequencies.