Co-cured GNP films with liquid thermoplastic/glass fiber composites for superior EMI shielding and impact properties for space applications

In this study, we explored the potential of manufacturing high concentration Graphene Nano-Platelet (GNP) films using liquid thermoplastic Elium® resin. A novel approach was adopted to co-cure manufactured GNP films with glass fiber reinforced Elium® composites to achieve superior electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and impact properties. The flexible GNP films were prepared using different concentrations (2 and 5 wt.%) of GNPs mixed within the Elium® resin. The glass fiber/Elium® composites were prepared by infusing the liquid thermoplastic resin and simultaneously co-curing the manufactured GNP films on a heated resin infusion tool surface. The GNP films were placed at different locations within the composite i.e., as an outer layer for EMI shielding and within the laminate for impact performance. After resin infusion, the impact test specimens were hot pressed above the glass transition temperature of the Elium® resin for better dispersion of GNPs within the composite. The manufactured composites exhibited excellent EMI shielding effectiveness of more than 32 dB and impact energy absorption, strength, and stiffness increase in the order of 105 %, 48 %, and 45 % respectively, when compared with pristine Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites (GFRPCs). The results reveal the remarkable potential of the proposed manufacturing technique to achieve superior and tailorable EMI shielding and impact performance of GFRPCs without issues of agglomeration of GNP particles at high concentrations for different space-related applications.