Aramid-based highly conductive composite films by incorporating graphene for electromagnetic interference shielding and Joule heating applications

With the development of modern electronic devices, high-performance polymer-based conductive composites are urgently needed. However, the poor thermal stability of most polymers, the high content of conducive fillers, and the unsatisfied performance efficiency of most composites limited their application in high high-end areas. Both aramid and graphene are fantastic engineering materials, their composites are expected to have desirable performances. Herein, we demonstrate the preparation of polymerization-induced aramid nanofiber (PANF)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite films through a simple yet efficient strategy. The assembly of the two components were achieved by a low cost and scalable vacuum-assisted filtration method. With PANFs serving as the matrix and rGO serving as the filler, PANF/rGO composite films with multilayer structure, excellent mechanical property, superior thermal stability and flame retardancy were obtained. The electrical conductivity of composite films can reach 4.8 × 103 S/m with a rGO content of 20%. Correspondingly, the composite films show excellent electromagnetic interference shielding performance and the shielding effectiveness of PANF/rGO composite film with a thickness of 30 μm can reach 33.6 dB. Furthermore, the composite films also exhibit excellent Joule heating performance with a wide heating temperature range (30–180 °C). These advantages can promote the practical engineering applications of aramid and graphene.