Electrical Resistivity and Microwave Properties of Carbon Fiber Felt Composites

Materials (Basel). 2022 Dec 5;15(23):8654. doi: 10.3390/ma15238654.

Abstract

We present studies on the microwave properties, electrical resistivity, and low-frequency (10 Hz-20 kHz) noise characteristics in the temperature range of 78 K to 380 K of composite materials made from bisphenol A-based epoxy resin and carbon fiber felts. Two types of carbon fibers were used, derived from polyacrylonitrile or regenerated cellulose. We show that these structures are suitable for electromagnetic shielding applications, especially in the direction parallel to the carbon fibers. The low-frequency voltage fluctuations observed in these materials are of the 1/fα, and the noise intensity is proportional to the square of the voltage. The characteristics of the investigated materials show an instability in the temperature range from 307 K to 332 K. This effect is followed by an increase in resistivity and noise intensity, but it does not change the character of the noise, and this instability vanishes after a few repeated heating and cooling cycles.

Keywords: carbon fibers; electrical resistivity; electromagnetic shielding.

Grants and funding

This research received funding from Campus France and the Lithuanian Science Council through the joint program PHC Gilibert #46414VC “Hybrid gels for electromagnetic applications”. It was also sponsored by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Program (Grant G5697 CERTAIN “Globular carbon-based structures and metamaterials for enhanced electromagnetic protection”).