Temperature and strain-induced tunable electromagnetic interference shielding in polydimethylsiloxane/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites with temperature-sensitive microspheres

[Display omitted] •Composites with tunable EMI SE was obtained by adding TSM into PDMS/CNT.•EMI SE decreased after the 120 °C treatment, and then partly recovered at 150 °C.•EMI SE decreased by 70% strain compression and then partly restored at 120 °C.•Temperature and strain-induced size changes of TSM caused different conductivity.•The composites exhibited temperature-induced and strain-induced tunable EMI SE. Herein, the elastomer composites with temperature and strain-induced tunable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) were successfully obtained by introducing temperature-sensitive microspheres (TSM) into the mixture of polydimethylsiloxane/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PDMS/CNT). The EMI shielding performance of the composites under different temperature and compression strain was evaluated carefully to investigate the mechanism of temperature and strain-induced regulation on EMI shielding. The TSM particles in the PDMS/TSM/CNT composites could be easily adjusted by specific temperature and strain, which resulted in the rearrangement of CNT conductive network and exhibited different electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance. For temperature-induced regulation, the EMI SE of the composites decreased after being treated at 120 °C and then partly recovered at 150 °C. For strain-induced regulation, the EMI SE of the composites was reduced after being compressed 70%. Furthermore, the strain-induced reduction of the composites could partly recover once heating at 120 °C again.