Lithium-substituted magnesium ferrite-polyaniline nanocomposites for X-band electromagnetic interference shielding

The progress of the automated industry produces undesired electromagnetic interference (EMI) that distresses the end-users and functionality of electronic devices. This article develops new composite based on a polyaniline matrix and lithium-substituted magnesium ferrite (Mg0.8Li0.2Fe2O4) nanofiller. The composite was designed to contain both electric and magnetic sources by including polarizable groups in the PANI structure and by loading this matrix with magnetic nanoparticles, respectively. Magnetic analyses indicated a saturation magnetization and coercivity of 32.5 emu gm⁻¹ and 32 Oe, respectively, for the ferrite nanoparticles which reduces to magnetization of 13.5 emu gm⁻¹ with the composite formation. These novel composites are investigated from the point of view of their EMI shielding properties, showing the high shielding effectiveness of 73 dB in X-band frequency region. The composite’s remarkable shielding qualities make it a very promising material for a variety of applications, including radar absorption and stealth technology.