Composition-dependent structural evolution of ternary CB/Ga/Silicone composites for synergistic sensing and comprehensive EMI shielding
Qu M, Chen H, Cai J, Liu J, Yang G, Liu J, Zhou L, Zhu D, Nilsson F (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
Book Volume: 260
Article Number: 114977
DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114977
Abstract
This study introduces a ternary composite system based on silicone, carbon black (CB), and liquid metal (LM) gallium. Despite extensive studies on LM/elastomer systems, most have primarily focused on mechanical reinforcement or thermal conductivity, while a systematic understanding of their electrical modeling and electromagnetic shielding performance remains insufficient. Therefore, we utilized silicone as an elastomeric matrix, CB as conductive nanofillers, and gallium as a conductive metallic phase, a flexible composite with enhanced multifunctional performance is realized. Shear dispersion during fabrication induces a unique star-like architecture of gallium, which, together with the conductive CB network, facilitates the formation of efficient and continuous electrical pathways. The resulting composites exhibit notable improvements in mechanical strength, strain-dependent resistive response, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities. In particular, the optimized composite achieves an EMI shielding effectiveness of ∼35 dB in the X-band, while maintaining stable strain sensing performance over 1000 cycles at 30 % strain. A systematic investigation into the influence of gallium concentration elucidates the correlation between microstructural evolution and the composite’s physical and electromagnetic behavior. This work not only deepens the understanding of LM-based ternary composites but also highlights their potential for advanced applications in flexible sensing, wearable electronics, and EMI attenuation technologies.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University
China (CN)
South China University of Technology (SCUT) / 华南理工大学
China (CN)
Royal Institute of Technology / Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH)
Sweden (SE)
China (CN)
South China University of Technology (SCUT) / 华南理工大学
China (CN)
Royal Institute of Technology / Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH)
Sweden (SE)
How to cite
APA:
Qu, M., Chen, H., Cai, J., Liu, J., Yang, G., Liu, J.,... Nilsson, F. (2025). Composition-dependent structural evolution of ternary CB/Ga/Silicone composites for synergistic sensing and comprehensive EMI shielding. Materials and Design, 260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114977
MLA:
Qu, Muchao, et al. "Composition-dependent structural evolution of ternary CB/Ga/Silicone composites for synergistic sensing and comprehensive EMI shielding." Materials and Design 260 (2025).
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