Research of electromagnetic shielding properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes thin transparent films

The paper presents the results of studying the shielding properties of thin transparent films in single-walled carbon nanotubes on flexible substrates of polyethylene terephthalate. The films were formed by spraying colloidal solution on single-walled carbon nanotubes. The film thickness was determined by the volume of the sprayed colloidal solution and was measured using transmission electron microscopy in a cross-section mode. The morphology and structural quality of the films were studied by electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed the high structural quality of the material. According to Raman spectroscopy, the ratio of peaks intensities G / D is 23.4, which is the evidence of a significant predominance of carbon in the sp2 hybridization. It is typical for graphite-like systems and, in particular, carbon nanotubes. The spectral dependences of the transmission and reflection coefficients of radio waves in the K range of 18–26.5 GHz were studied. Absorption of radiation is the dominant shielding mechanism. Increasing the film thickness from 15.9 to 56.1 nm is accompanied by decreasing the surface resistance from 971 to 226 Ohm / sq, while optical transparency decreases from 93.58 to 76.71 %. Shielding efficiency increases from 2.29 to 6.6 dB, increasing the proportion of absorbed radiation from 34.6 to 51.2 % at a frequency of 18 GHz. This indicates the prospects for the use of films as electromagnetic shielding and anti-icing coatings in the aerospace industry.