SiC Nanofiber-Coated Carbon/Carbon Composite for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Carbon/carbon–silicon carbide (C/C-SiC) composites have been widely reported in aerospace and military projects for their mechanical properties and electromagnetic shielding characteristics. However, high production costs, a complex process, and poor electrical conductivity have prohibited the large-scale application of these excellent EMI shielding materials. Herein, in situ growth of the SiC nanofibers (SiCnf) on carbonized phenolic resin with the reinforcement of graphite fibers is proposed for a strategy to overcome this challenge. The laser-irradiated carbon fibers (LCFs) were filled into the phenolic resin and hot-pressing was conducted; thereafter, the C/C-SiC composites were obtained by high-temperature carbothermal reduction of the LCF/phenolic resin and the industrial silicon power. Because of the conductive network of the LCF, the dense carbon matrix and the decoration of nanoporous SiCnf, the as-prepared SiCnf grown on the LCF/carbonized phenolic resin (LCF/PC-SiC) composite exhibited an EMI shielding effectiveness of 27.86 dB in the X-band at room temperature. This work proposed a new strategy to efficiently fabricate C/C-SiC composites for electromagnetic shielding.