Fabrication of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) and Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO)-based thermoplastic polyurethane and polypyrrole nanocomposites for electromagnetic wave absorption application with a low reflection

Abstract

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) pollution is a serious concern in today's environment, causing problems not just for electronic gadgets but also for living society. The goal of this research is to fabricate thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polypyrrole (PPy)-based 95:5 blend nanocomposites using a simple solvent casting method at such a low concentration of rGO and MWCNT (0.3, 0.4, 0.5 php) (parts per hundred polymers), for electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption applications. The chemical interaction between the different phases and morphology of the nanocomposites is characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. The material properties, such as dielectric and magnetic properties, are analyzed in X-band frequency (8.2–12.4 GHz). The total shielding effectiveness of (SETot) 0.5 rGO system is found to be 27 dB, whereas, for corresponding MWCNT nanocomposites, it is 26 dB. Interestingly, in 0.5 rGO nanocomposites, absorption shielding effectiveness (SEAbs) is approximately 25 dB, and reflection shielding effectiveness (SERef) is less than 2 dB, which indicates the absorption of 70% of the electromagnetic wave, and the rest gets reflected. Apart from that, the rGO-based nanocomposites possess a greater extent of thermal stability than the corresponding MWCNT-based nanocomposites. Highlights: Fabrication of TPU-PPy-rGO and TPU-PPy-MWCNT nanocomposites by solvent casting. Low reflection of TPU-PPy-rGO nanocomposites with a 70% absorption rate. FESEM confirms the multilayer interface structures. Tunable Dielectric and magnetic properties of nanocomposites in X-band. Excellent absorption dominant properties of the fabricated nanocomposites.