Electromagnetic interference shielding of metal coated ultrathin nonwoven fabrics and their factorial design

Abstract

Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is everywhere in this world and galaxy in different forms and levels. In some cases, human beings need to protect themselves from electromagnetic radiations and the same thing is also recommended for electronic devices as well. Lots of studies are there on the shielding of electromagnetic radiation interference using metals, polymers, and minerals. For protecting the human being, textile structures are playing the main role. In the textile material structure itself many types are there; each one is having its unique geometrical shape and design. In this work, the copper/nickel-coated ultrathin nonwoven fabric is prepared like a strip. The 3, 6, and 9 mm thick strips are prepared and laid at different gaps, angles, and layered to study the effect of factors on EM shielding effectiveness as per ASTM D4935-10 standard. The design of experiment has been done to analyze the three factors and three levels of the strip properties having an influence on electromagnetic shielding results. From the findings of the design of experiment (DoE) screening design, the factors are the thickness of the strips, the gap between the strips, and the strips laid angle having a statistically significant effect on electromagnetic shielding effectiveness.