In the present work, composite materials were prepared by incorporation of manganese-zinc ferrite, carbon black and combination of ferrite and carbon black into acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR). For cross-linking of composites, standard sulfur-based curing system was applied. The main goal was to investigate the influence of the fillers on the physical-mechanical properties of composites. Then, the electromagnetic absorption shielding ability was investigated in the frequency range 1 MHz-3 GHz. The results revealed that composites filled with ferrite provide sufficient absorption shielding performance in the tested frequency range. On the other hand, ferrite behaves as an inactive filler and deteriorates the physical-mechanical characteristics of composites. Carbon black reinforces the rubber matrix and contributes to the improvement of physical-mechanical properties. However, composites filled with carbon black are not able to absorb electromagnetic radiation in the given frequency range. Finally, the combination of carbon black and ferrite resulted in the modification of both physical-mechanical characteristics and absorption shielding ability of hybrid composites.

Department of Electromagnetic Theory Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava 812 19 Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Plastics Rubber and Fibres Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava 812 37 Bratislava Slovakia

Polymer Centre Faculty of Technology Tomas Bata University in Zlín 760 01 Zlín Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

Mathur P., Raman S. Electromagnetic interference (EMI): Measurement and reduction techniques. J. Electron. Mater. 2020;49:2975–2998. doi: 10.1007/s11664-020-07979-1. DOI

Driessen S., Napp A., Schmiedchen K., Kraus T., Stunder D. Electromagnetic interference in cardiac electronic implants caused by novel electrical appliances emitting electromagnetic fields in the intermediate frequency range: A systematic review. Eurospace. 2019;21:219–229. doi: 10.1093/europace/euy155. PubMed DOI PMC

Raagulan K., Braveenth R., Kim B.M., Lim K.J., Lee S.B., Kim M., Chai K.Y. An effective utilization of MXene and its effect on electromagnetic interference shielding: Flexible, free-standing and thermally conductive composite from MXene-AT-poly (p-aminophenol)–polyaniline co-polymer. RSC Adv. 2020;10:1613–1633. doi: 10.1039/C9RA09522E. PubMed DOI PMC

Leão A., Indrusiak T., Costa M.F., Soares G.B. Exploring the potential use of clean scrap PVDF as matrix for conductive composites based on graphite, carbon black and hybrids: Electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) J. Polym. Environ. 2020;28:2091–2100. doi: 10.1007/s10924-020-01753-4. DOI

Jaroszewski M., Thomas S., Rane A.V. Advanced Materials for Electromagnetic Shielding: Fundamentals, Properties and Applications. 1st ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Hoboken, NJ, USA: 2019.

do Amaral Junior M.A., Marcuzzo J.S., da Silva Pinheiro B., Lopes B.H.K., de Oliveira A.P.S., Matsushima J.T., Baldan M.R. Study of reflection process for nickel coated activated carbon fiber felt applied with electromagnetic interference shielding. J. Mater. Res. Technol. 2019;8:4040–4047. doi: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.07.014. DOI

Meng F., Wang H., Huang F., Guo Y., Wang Z., Hui D., Zhou Z. Graphene-based microwave absorbing composites: A review and prospective. Compos. Part B Eng. 2018;137:260–277. doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2017.11.023. DOI

Farida E., Bukit N., Ginting E.M., Bukit B.F. The effect of carbon black composition in natural rubber compound. Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 2019;16:100566. doi: 10.1016/j.csite.2019.100566. DOI

Gao M., Zheng F., Xu J., Zhang S., Bhosale S.S., Gu J., Hong R. Surface modification of nano-sized carbon black for reinforcement of rubber. Nanotechnol. Rev. 2019;8:405–414. doi: 10.1515/ntrev-2019-0036. DOI

Valenzuela R. Novel applications of ferrites. Phys. Res. Int. 2012;2012:591839. doi: 10.1155/2012/591839. DOI

Ušák E., Ušáková M., Dosoudil R., Šoka M., Dobročka E. Influence of iron substitution by selected rare-earth ions on the properties of NiZn ferrite fillers and PVC magneto-polymer composites. AIP Adv. 2018;8:047805. doi: 10.1063/1.4993547. DOI

Saqib H., Rahman S., Susilo R., Chen B., Dai N. Structural, vibrational, electrical, and magnetic properties of mixed spinel ferrites Mg1-xZnxFe2O4 nanoparticles prepared by co-precipitation. AIP Adv. 2019;9:055306. doi: 10.1063/1.5093221. DOI

Ahmad A.F., Abbas Z., Aziz S.A., Obaiys S.J., Zainuddin M.F. Synthesis and characterisation of nickel oxide reinforced with polycaprolactone composite for dielectric applications by controlling nickel oxide as a filler. Results Phys. 2018;11:427–435. doi: 10.1016/j.rinp.2018.08.041. DOI

dos Santos Monteiro E., Kasal R.B., Moraes N.C., Mota de Melo G.B., dos Santos J.C.A., da Silva Figueired A.B.H. Nanoparticles of Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 used as microwave absorbers in the X-band. Mater. Res. 2019;22:e20190188. doi: 10.1590/1980-5373-mr-2019-0188. DOI

Kasgoz A. Quantifying dielectric and microwave absorption properties of barium titanate and strontium ferrite filled polymer composites. Polym. Polym. Compos. 2020 doi: 10.1177/0967391120967502. DOI

Ravindren R., Mondal S., Bhawal P., Mohammad Nasim Ali S., Chandra Das N. Superior electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness and low percolation threshold through the preferential distribution of carbon black in the highly flexible polymer blend composites. Polym. Compos. 2019;40:1404–1418. doi: 10.1002/pc.24874. DOI

Liu C., Yu C., Sang G., Xu P., Ding Y. Improvement in EMI shielding properties of silicone rubber/POE blends containing ILs modified with carbon black and MWCNTs. Appl. Sci. 2019;9:1774. doi: 10.3390/app9091774. DOI

Al-Saleh M.H., Sundararaj U. X-band EMI shielding mechanisms and shielding effectiveness of high structure carbon black/polypropylene composites. J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 2013;46:035304. doi: 10.1088/0022-3727/46/3/035304. DOI

Jani R.K., Patra M.K., Saini L., Shukla A., Singh C.P., Vadera S.R. Tuning of microwave absorption properties and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of nanosize conducting black-silicone rubber composites over 8–18 GHz. Prog. Electromagn. Res. 2017;58:193–204. doi: 10.2528/PIERM17022704. DOI

Kruželák J., Kvasničáková A., Hložeková K., Hudec I. Progress in polymers and polymer composites used as efficient materials for EMI shielding. Nanoscale Adv. 2021;3:123–172. doi: 10.1039/D0NA00760A. PubMed DOI PMC

Li Z.W., Yang Z.H. The studies of high-frequency magnetic properties and absorption characteristics for amorphous-filler composites. J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 2015;391:172–178. doi: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2015.04.027. DOI

Al-Saleh M.H., Saadeh W.H., Sundararaj U. EMI shielding effectiveness of carbon based nanostructured polymeric materials: A comparative study. Carbon. 2013;60:146–156. doi: 10.1016/j.carbon.2013.04.008. DOI

Zhu J., Gu H., Luo Z., Haldolaarachige N., Young D.P., Wei S., Guo Z. Carbon nanostructure-derived polyaniline metacomposites: Electrical, dielectric, and giant magnetoresistive properties. Langmuir. 2012;28:10246–10255. doi: 10.1021/la302031f. PubMed DOI

Zhu Y., Zhang L., Natsuki T., Fu Y.Q., Ni Q.Q. Facile synthesis of BaTiO3 nanotubes and their microwave absorption properties. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2012;4:2101–2106. doi: 10.1021/am300069x. PubMed DOI

Gupta T.K., Singh B.P., Singh V.N., Teotia S., Singh A.P., Elizabeth I., Dhakate S.R., Dhawan S.K., Mathur R.B. MnO2 decorated graphene nanoribbons with superior permittivity and excellent microwave shielding properties. J. Mater. Chem. A. 2014;2:4256–4263. doi: 10.1039/c3ta14854h. DOI

Yadav R.S., Kuřitka I., Vilcakova J., Machovsky M., Skoda D., Urbánek P., Masař M., Jurča M., Urbánek M., Kalina L., et al. NiFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by dextrin from corn-mediated sol−gel combustion method and its polypropylene nanocomposites engineered with reduced graphene oxide for the reduction of electromagnetic pollution. ACS Omega. 2019;4:22069–22081. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03191. PubMed DOI PMC

Wang X. Investigation of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of nanostructural carbon black/ABS composites. J. Electromagn. Anal. Appl. 2011;3:160–164. doi: 10.1016/j.jmaa.2011.02.082. DOI

Paul R.P. Introduction to Electromagnetic Compatibility. 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Hoboken, NJ, USA: 2006.