Thermal, Dielectric, and Microwave Shielding Efficiency of the Lead Ferrite‐RGO Nanocomposite‐Reinforced PVA‐PEG Films

ABSTRACT In response to the growing need for efficient EMI shielding materials, this study presents a lightweight, flexible PVA‐PEG‐based nanocomposite film incorporating ferromagnetic lead hexaferrite (LHF) anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using the solvent casting method. Structural and morphological analyses (SEM, AFM) confirmed uniform dispersion of nanofillers, while TGA and mechanical testing revealed enhanced thermal stability and improved tensile strength (1.79 MPa). The PVA‐PEG‐NC films also demonstrated increased hydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 75°. The PVA‐PEG‐NC exhibited a high EMI shielding effectiveness of 43 dB in the X‐band frequency range at a minimal thickness of 2.2 mm, outperforming films with LHF or rGO alone and exceeding typical shielding performance reported for similar polymer‐based nanocomposite. The shielding mechanism, elucidated through complex permittivity and permeability analyses, is attributed to a combination of dielectric loss (0.7) due to interfacial and defect polarization, and magnetic loss (0.4) arising from eddy current loss and natural resonance, leading to the RL of −20.04 dB. This work advances the design of multifunctional polymer nanocomposites and contributes to the development of next‐generation EMI shielding materials for electronic protection in thermally and electromagnetically demanding environments.