Abstract:
In this work epoxy nanocomposites containing varying content of copper nanowires (CuNW) were produced. The CuNW were synthesized using a facile one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method. The composites were characterized for their electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness in the X-band. The electrical conductivity of the epoxy composites was measured, and the composites containing 12 wt % CuNW demonstrated percolated behavior and exhibited a frequency-independent conductivity value of 1.76 × 10−6 S m−1 in the range of 25–200 Hz. The 12 wt % CuNW sample demonstrated an EMI shielding effectiveness value of 6.5 dB, which corresponds to 77.1 % attenuation of the incident electromagnetic wave. Furthermore, an absorption-dominated shielding mechanism was observed in these composites.