Lightweight and Flexible Fabric Assembled by ANF/GMWCNT Fibers for Broadband Electromagnetic Wave Absorption
Tao Chen, Yuefeng Yan, Siqian Liu, Ziyan Cheng, Boshi Gao, Dechang JIA, Y. Zhou, Xiaoxiao Huang
Abstract
ABSTRACT Developing efficient electromagnetic wave absorbing materials that offer both broadband and stability, while enabling simultaneous solutions for equipment stealth and personal protection, remains a critical challenge today. In this work, aramid nanofiber (ANF)/graphitized multiwall carbon nanotube (GMWCNT) composite fibers are prepared via a wet spinning and sol–gel transformation strategy, and further woven into fabrics. Within the composite fibers, GMWCNT bundles around the ANF skeleton to form a continuous conductive network, while generating abundant heterointerfaces. The insulating ANF matrix effectively modulates the impedance characteristics of the composite. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of conduction loss in the micro‐macro electrical network and heterointerface polarization, the ANF/GMWCNT composite fiber fabric‐2 (AGCFF‐2) with an areal density of 7.1×10 −3 g/cm 2 achieves a minimum reflection loss of −75.18 dB, with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 7.68 GHz. Remarkably, the fabric maintains outstanding performance after heat treatment at 350°C in air, exhibiting an expanded EAB of 8.02 GHz, demonstrating exceptional stability. Additionally, it exhibits a rapid Joule heating response and excellent electromagnetic stealth capability confirmed by radar cross‐section simulation. This work provides new insights for designing lightweight, flexible, multifunctional, and high‐performance electromagnetic wave absorbers for complex application scenarios.