Resistance against Penetration of Electromagnetic Radiation for Ultra-light Cu/Ni-Coated Polyester Fibrous Materials

Resistance against penetration of various rays including electromagnetic waves (EM), infrared rays (IR), and ultraviolet rays (UV) has been realized by using copper (Cu)-coated fabrics. However, the corrosion of the Cu on coated fabrics influenced the shielding effectiveness of the various rays. Besides, the metal-coated fabrics have high density and are unbreathable. This work aims to solve the problem by incorporating nickel (Ni) into the Cu coating on the ultra-light polyester fibrous materials (Milife(®) composite nonwoven fabric—10 g/m(2), abbreviation Milife) via electroless plating. The electromagnetic interference (EMI), IR test, ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), water contact angle, and air permeability of the Cu/Ni-coated Milife fabric were measured. All the samples were assumed as ultra-light and breathable by obtaining the similar fabric density (~10.57 g/m(2)) and large air permeability (600–1050 mm/s). The Cu/Ni deposition on the Milife fabrics only covered the fibers. The EM shielding effectiveness (SE) decreased from 26 to 20 dB, the IR reflectance (R(infrared)) decreased from 0.570 to 0.473 with increasing w(Ni) from 0 to 19.5 wt %, while the w(Ni) improved the UPF from 9 to 48. Besides, addition of Ni changed the Cu/Ni-coated Milife fabric from hydrophilicity to the hydrophobicity by observing WCA from 77.7° to 114°.