Synthetic Graphite and Graphene Nanoplatelets Composites for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Abstract

This study looked to investigate the feasibility of using an insulative resin with a conductive filler to produce mediums that can attenuate or eliminate Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). The three conductive fillers examined were synthetic graphite (SG) and two classes of exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP). A combination of xGnP composites composing of more than 10 layers of graphene and synthetic graphite (SG) nanocomposites were manufactured. The xGnP of more than 10-layer graphene composites, and the SG only composites were both subjected to two temperatures 34°C and 40°C, which were alternated throughout the repeated experimental processes, with stipulated steps in each experiment. The SG nanocomposites containing biodegradable compostable ingredients were manufactured using another composite manufacturing process that involved room temperature. Experiments using temperature treatments and associated steps were found to show normal tensile behaviour of epoxy composites using the Bluehill Universal software used in the Intron 3344 tensile testing machine. Compared to other epoxies having similar as Diglycidyl Ether Bisphenol A (DGBEA) and epichlorohydrin having the same molecular weight or repeats. The molecular weight of DGEBA and epichlorohydrin is ≈700g/mol. Conversely, the composites with food grade ingredients demonstrated greater ductility, and continued to stretch under the strain caused by the top grip compared to temperature treated experiments at 34C and 40C. All composites examined showed no conductivity, but on gentle polishing, several demonstrated a near zero resistance value i.e., very high conductance. A long lean cycle order was used for purposes of researching the alignment of the platelets using magnetic, standard exfoliation and sonication during cure.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Hugh Gong (Supervisor) & Venkata Potluri (Supervisor)