Electromagnetic interference shielding performance of 3-D spacer fabric coated with reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes

In this work, a new type of three-dimensional spacer woven fabric (3DSWF) has been designed, whose upper and lower layers are of interlaminar orthogonal structure. These two layers are connected well with spacing yarns interweaved with weft yarns and arranged in an ‘X’ shape in the spacing layer. In order to expand the application field of 3DSWF, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated 3DSWFs are prepared. The synergistic effect between rGO and CNTs gives 3DSWFs excellent electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance. The results show that the layer-by-layer assemble method is conducive to play the synergistic effect between rGO and CNTs. The EMI shielding effectiveness of sample can reach to 15 dB from 2 dB in the frequency range of 0-3GHz. Besides the electrical conductivity, the preparation method is also one of the factors affecting the EMI shielding performance of coated 3DSWFs. This study provides idea for the design and preparation of 3DSWF and further developing 3DSWF-based materials with multiple functions.