03/11/2023, 21:14 Electromagnetic interference shielding of 3D-printed graphene–polyamide-6 composites with 3D-printed morphology - Scien…

Additive Manufacturing
Volume 43, July 2021, 102020

Research Paper

Electromagnetic interference shielding of 3D-printed

graphene–polyamide-6 composites with 3D-printed
morphology
Kok Peng Marcian Lee a, Thomas Baum a, Robert Shanks b, Fugen Daver a

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102020
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Abstract

Graphene–polyamide-6 composite (GC) filament was 3D-printed via melt extrusion (ME). The influence of
specimen thickness and internal geometric designs on electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness
(EMI SE) and dielectric properties in the X-band frequency range (8.2–12.4 GHz) was investigated. Increasing
specimen thickness from 1 to 5 mm did not improve EMI SE due to impedance matching and the associated
reductions in electromagnetic (EM) wave reflection. It was demonstrated that the introduction of suitable
internal geometric assemblies avoided impedance matching and significantly improved EMI SE. A material
model for simulating EM response of 3D-printed GC was developed and experimentally verified. It was
found that different internal geometric designs each displayed unique EM responses. However, geometrical
inaccuracies in printed specimens resulted in differences between experimental EM response and that
predicted by simulations. These inaccuracies stem from the small size of the features relative to the printer
resolution and the ME printing methodology. Therefore, the limitations of a printer when replicating
complex geometries must be considered to effectively apply internal geometric designs for enhancing EMI
SE of 3D-printed components.

Introduction

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is an undesirable phenomenon caused by the operation of high-

frequency electronic devices. It can interfere with regular operation of other devices and may cause adverse
health effects with prolonged exposure [1], [2]. The influence of electromagnetic (EM) waves can be limited
using EMI shielding materials. Such materials attenuate EMI signals through radiation absorption, reflection,
or a combination of both mechanisms. A third mechanism, multiple internal reflection, occurs when EM
waves reflect between the front and rear faces of the shield. The response of a material to EM waves,

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according to the Maxwell equations, is determined by its electrical permittivity (ε), magnetic permeability
(µ), and electrical conductivity [3]. In low conductivity materials, this response can be evaluated as complex
permittivity ( ) for an applied electrical field, and complex permeability (µ µ µ ) for an
applied magnetic field. The interaction occurs as energy storage (real component: ε’ and µ’) or energy
absorption with subsequent dissipation via conduction, dipolar, resonance and relaxation mechanisms
(imaginary component: ε” and µ”) [3], [4].

The performance of an EMI shield is measured as a logarithmic quantity called “shielding effectiveness” (SE)
with the unit of decibels (dB). An EMI shield needs to have an EMI SE of at least 10–20 dB, corresponding to
90 – 99% of the incident signal blocked, to function efficiently [5], [6]. The EMI SE of otherwise insulating
materials can be enhanced by the addition of conductive fillers like carbonaceous fillers [4], [7], [8], [9]. The
use of nanomaterials as filler can result in synergistic enhancements in EMI SE and dielectric properties due
to increased interfaces between constituent materials in the composite [9], [10], With the advantages of low
toxicity and cost, carbon nanomaterials derived from various biomass materials and their derivatives have
been widely used in the fields of EMI shielding, catalysis, supercapacitors, heat insulation, and sensor. For
example, Wang et al. [11] reported the preparation of EMI shielding composites from annealed sugar cane
(ASC) filled with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by vacuum-assisted impregnation. The results showed that
the EMI SE of ASC–rGO aerogel reached 53 dB with a specimen thickness of 3 mm. Moreover, the materials
also showed excellent flame retardancy, thermal stability, and heat insulation. Similarly, Song et al. [12]
showed that cellulose carbon aerogel@rGO (CCA@rGO)–polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites
demonstrate EMI SE of 51.0 dB. Excellent EMI shielding performances and thermal stabilities combined with
good thermal conductivities present CCA@rGO–PDMS composites as candidates in lightweight, flexible
electromagnetic shielding applications and portable/wearable electronic devices.

More recently, two-dimensional layered transition metal carbides, nitrides or carbonitrides (MXenes) have
been studied as alternative fillers for EMI SE enhancement [13]. As MXenes possess complex interfaces in
their 3D structure, the increased internal reflections and scattering lead to longer conductive pathways for
greater EMI SE [14], [15]. Compared with carbon-based fillers, MXenes reportedly possess excellent
electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity, and chemical activity. However, its preparation is relatively more
costly and complicated, thereby limiting its application currently.

In addition to its intrinsic material properties, the performance of an EMI shield is influenced by thickness
and the presence of other physical features that can hinder wave propagation [16]. For example, the porous
structure of ASC–rGO aerogel created an abundance of interfaces that led to a synergistic enhancement of
its EMI SE [11]. In CCA@rGO–PDMS composites, the skin-core structure was found to enhance conductive
loss and impedance mismatch between incident wave and the composite [12]. Its EMI SE was almost four
times that of its co-blended counterpart. Similarly, porous microstructures in cobalt–carbon composites
induced strong interfacial polarisation for synergistically enhanced microwave absorption [17]. Therefore,
the physical structure of EMI shields has a direct influence on their EMI SE and it presents a unique
opportunity for exploiting the design freedom enabled by additive manufacturing (AM) techniques such as
material extrusion (ME).

ME processes, including fused filament fabrication (FFF) and fused deposition modelling (FDM), involve
deposition of molten material as a thin filament through a moving nozzle to achieve a layer-by-layer build
[18], [19]. Several materials, including graphene–polymer and carbon nanotubes–polymer composites, are
suitable for ME and possess functional levels of EMI SE for the C-band (5.85–8.20 GHz) and X-band (8.20–
12.40 GHz) frequency ranges when printed as 1–2 mm thick coupons [20], [21], [22], [23]. Viskadourakis et
al. [24] reported that the introduction of 3D pyramid-like surface features could enhance the EMI SE of such

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coupons. However, the authors did not pursue a deeper investigation on the influence of specimen thickness
and different surface features on the EMI SE of printed specimens.

Besides the presence of surface features, inhomogeneities across the thickness of specimens can alter their
EM response. In a study on ME-fabricated carbon nanotubes–carbon black–poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–
styrene) (ABS) composites, it was found that the printing pattern and part orientation on the build platform
can introduce anisotropic enhancements to the EMI SE of printed specimens [25]. The authors also report
that decreasing layer height, and thereby increasing the number of interfaces across the thickness of the
printed specimens, was unexpectedly detrimental to EMI SE. In another example, the deliberate
introduction of air–medium interfaces by varying the infill pattern and density of ME-printed specimens
was applied to achieve metamaterial-like EM responses [26]. The simultaneous printing of two dielectric
materials with different permittivity is another approach for achieving similar effects in all-dielectric
structures [27]. In a separate study, a multilayer metamaterial absorber with a wide working frequency
bandwidth, excellent EM wave absorption performance and low thickness was successfully fabricated via
ME [28]. This was achieved by manipulating both material permittivity and the design of the cell structure
between layers.

The literature has indicated that physical feature manipulation enabled by ME can alter the EM response of
printed components. However, studies on the influence of modifications to the internal structure of printed
components have so far been limited to adjustments to infill pattern and density. Furthermore, shape
fidelity as a factor in the EMI shielding performance of printed components have not been considered in
those works. Therefore, to realise the potential of ME for the design and AM of EMI shielding components, a
comprehensive investigation in the influence of 3D-printed morphologies on EMI SE is essential.

We aim to investigate the influence of design of internal assemblies of multiple elements on the EMI SE and
dielectric properties of ME-printed graphene–polyamide-6 composite (GC). The objectives are (i) to
characterise the EMI SE and dielectric properties of ME-printed GC specimens of 1 – 5 mm thickness, (ii) to
characterise the EMI SE and dielectric properties of ME-printed GC specimens with various internal
geometric assemblies, (iii) to develop and verify a material model for simulating the EM response of ME-
printed GC, and (iv) to apply EM simulations as a means to analyse the performance of ME-printed GC with
internal geometric assemblies.

Section snippets

Materials

PA6 under the trade name ‘Taulman 645′, was supplied by Taulman3D (Missouri, USA) as 1.75 mm diameter
filament. The PA6 was specifically developed for applications in ME.

The preparation of GC filament, its mechanical properties, and quality of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)
dispersion have been discussed in [23]. GC filament contains 9%·v/v GNP. GNP was supplied by XG Sciences
(Michigan, USA). GNP was specified as “Grade M-25″ by the manufacturer, with a typical surface area of
120–150 m2/g. GNP…

Influence of thickness on electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness and

dielectric properties of printed components

The EMI SE of GC (ME) at between 1 and 5 mm thicknesses is presented in Fig. 1a. While some improvement
to EMI SE relative to 1 mm specimens can be observed by increasing specimen thickness, more intense
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frequency dependence was observed. At 1 mm specimen thickness, a slight decreasing dependence on SET
was observed as frequency increased. However, variations of approximately 10 dB were observed for the
EMI SE of thicker specimens within the X-band frequency range.

With an EMI SE of 12 dB at…

Conclusion

GC (ME) EMI shields at thicknesses of up to 5 mm, and with internal geometric features, have been
successfully fabricated. The influence of specimen thickness and internal features on EMI shielding and
dielectric properties were investigated. Increasing the thickness of GC (ME) specimens beyond 1 mm did not
result in increased EMI SE due to the creation of a half wavelength window at the impedance matching
frequency. While overall SET was reduced, the absorbance of the shields increased at…

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Kok Peng Marcian, Lee: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing - original
draft. Thomas Baum: Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing - review & editing. Robert Shanks:
Conceptualisation, Methodology, Formal analysis, Supervision, Writing - review & editing. Fugen Daver:
Conceptualisation, Methodology, Formal analysis, Supervision, Writing - review & editing.…

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that
could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.…

Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the facilities and the scientific and technical assistance of the Australian
Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility at the RMIT University Microscopy and Microanalysis
Facility. The authors acknowledge the facilities and technical assistance of the RMIT Advanced
Manufacturing Precinct.…

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