Influence of SWCNT on shielding and tensile properties of polyurethane nanocomposites

The effect of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as fillers in polyurethane matrix composites on the efficiency of attenuating electromagnetic waves in the X-band region (8–12 GHz) was studied in the current work. To meet the present-day challenges, the composites were tested using a tensile system. The inclusion of SWCNT in the polyurethane matrix proved the enhancement of electromagnetic interference shielding performance along with the improved mechanical properties. The composites were characterised by FTIR and FESEM. The dielectric properties were investigated in X-band frequencies. The shielding performance of the samples was found to be 28 dB for 1 wt% filler at 10 GHz. The effect of CNT on the mechanical performance of polyurethane composites was studied. The maximum tensile strength achieved was 2.87 MPa for 3 wt% CNT. The results showed that the synthesised sample materials found more shielding applications with favourable tensile properties.