Research Projects

Electromagnetic waves in the microwave frequency range (2–18 GHz) are vital for modern communication and electronic systems, but their interaction with materials and living organisms can cause significant adverse effects. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from various devices disrupts performance and data flow. It also poses a threat to human health due to prolonged exposure. Metals, due to their inherent low skin depth, are the ideal choice for an EMI shield. However, their high density, susceptibility to corrosion, cost, and lack of flexibility make them less suitable for modern lightweight, portable, and flexible devices. This has led to a growing interest in lightweight, low-cost, and shape-customizable porous materials as alternative EMI shields. This proposal focuses on the development of lightweight, porous, absorption-dominant EMI shields by exploiting the range of ferromagnetic resonance frequency (FMR) that can be obtained by tuning the magnetic materials like spinel ferrites and garnets. The use of MXene and MWCNT, along with ferrites/garnets tuned for specific bandwidth, makes it an ideal hybrid filler for end-user-tuned applications. These systems can then be incorporated into polymer resins for fabricating custom-made panels or curved surfaces for application in automobiles and electronic packaging. The absorption-dominant characteristics of the fillers ensure the reduction of secondary pollution, which is common in reflection-based ones. This work uniquely investigates the structure-property-performance relationship by varying magnetic fillers, porosity, and printing parameters, offering a pathway for designing ready-to-use shields. These application-specific EMI shields can be tailored for modern electronic and automotive systems. The main objective of the proposal is To develop lightweight, porous electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding structures using additive manufacturing, targeting the X-band and Ku-band frequencies To design 3D printable resin composites with tunable magnetic and electrical losses by adding garnets, spinel ferrites, MXene, and CNT. Optimize filler composition and porous structure to achieve over 50 dB shielding at under 2 mm thickness. To fabricate complex-shaped EMI shields and evaluate their shielding performance, thermal stability, and mechanical durability under repeated flexing conditions This objective will be accomplished through six distinct phases, which encompass material selection and characterization (synthesis of individual fillers), formulation of the base resin (including resin: cross-linker ratio and viscosity optimization), tuning of hybrid fillers and optimization of resin formulation (adjusting fillers with conducting and magnetic components to a specific frequency or bandwidth and their incorporation into resin via viscosity optimization), design and additive manufacturing of porous structures (including print parameters and shape control), EMI shielding characterization (testing for the required shielding effectiveness (SE); if not achieved, tuning of filler loading), and application testing along with performance validation (addressing complex, application-oriented geometries subjected to thermal and mechanical stresses). The query we aim to address concerns how to mitigate electromagnetic interference (EMI) within a specific frequency or narrow frequency band. This challenge has been encountered by research and development teams working on electric vehicles (EVs) and uncrewed vehicles. Such products must meet specific shape, lightweight, and absorption requirements due to EMM wave reflection from roads. We propose a magnetic tuning scheme to improve understanding, based on ferromagnetic resonance and structure porosity. Real-world conditions will be simulated with thermal aging and flexing. EMI SE measurements before and after stress verify practical usefulness, reaching TRL 5.