Electrospun PVDF/Barium hexaferrite fiber composites for enhanced electromagnetic shielding in the X-band range

In the contemporary, digitally–driven era, the prevalence of electronic devices has drastically escalated electromagnetic (EM) pollution levels, marking a significant environmental challenge. Electrospun fiber composites of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Barium hexaferrite (BHF) were analyzed for their potential usage in X-band electromagnetic shielding applications (EMSAs). Pure PVDF and BHF-PVDF fiber composite were manufactured by needleless electrospinning. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and EM measurements utilizing a vector network analyzer (VNA) are all used to describe the prepared samples. The XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of BHF into the PVDF matrix. The results show that adding PVDF to BHF in fiber form enhances the reflection loss (RL), indicating improved electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE). The SEM analysis revealed that the fiber composite had a uniform fiber diameter distribution. In contrast, the TGA analysis demonstrated good thermal stability of the fiber composite. Polymer samples were evaluated to enhance gamma radiation and neutron particle attenuation. MCNP5 and Phy-X/PSD software were used to study semi-crystalline fluorocarbon polymer (PVDF) and barium hex ferrite BaFe12O19 (30 wt%) with PVDF (70 wt%). The MCNP5 programme simulated 0.015–15 MeV radiation attenuation. Additionally, the Phy-X/PSD programme verified the simulated µ values for the chosen Mxenes materials. The MCNP-5 code and Phy-X/PSD results were agreed. The linear attenuation coefficients for the polymer samples ranged from 3.166 to 0.032 cm2.g−1 for PVDF and from 73.960 to 0.113 cm2.g−1 for PVDF and BHF-PVDF Fiber at photon energies from 0.015 to 15 MeV. Overall, the electrospun fiber composite of PVDF and BHF particles shows promise for EMSAs in the X-band range. The enhanced RL observed in our study suggests that these fiber composites could be used to protect against electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from electronic devices, which is increasingly concerning in today's modern society. © 2023 The Author(s)