The effect of chemical exposure on the EMI shielding of conductive plastics

Abstract The electrical properties of a number of filled plastics were examined after subjecting the materials to exposure to isopropyl alcohol, a 25°C detergent/water solution, an 80°C detergent/water solution, and at various chemical plant sites. Compositions which contained metal fillers maintained their conductivity only when a high temperature thermally stable polymer was used as the polymer matrix, while compositions which are made conductive through a carbon filler network maintained their conductivity under most of the exposure conditions examined even when low temperature polymers were used as matrices.