EMI shielding effectiveness of metal-coated carbon fiber-reinforced ABS composites

EMI shielding effectiveness of copper- and nickel-coated carbon fiber-reinf orced ABS composites was investigated. The coaxial transmission line method was used to measure the EMI shielding effectiveness of the metal-coated ca rbon fibers/ABS composites. The carbon fibers were coated with copper or ni ckel using the cementation and electroless deposition techniques. Measureme nts of fiber length distribution in the composites indicated that the lengt h of copper-coated carbon fibers was shorter than that of nickel-coated car bon fibers after composite fabrication. As a result. their composites also showed poor EMI shielding effectiveness. Among the metal-coated carbon fibe rs/ABS composites studied in this investigation, electroless nickel-coated carbon fibers/ABS composites showed the best EMI shielding capability due t o longer fiber length distribution and excellent bonding between nickel coa ting and the fibers. The metal coatings, deposited using the cementation te chnique, tended to detach from the fibers during the compounding process, a nd consequently, poor EMI shielding effectiveness was obtained for their co mposites. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.