Robust electromagnetic interference shielding, joule heating, thermal conductivity, and anti-dripping performances of polyoxymethylene with uniform distribution and high content of carbon-based nanofillers

Fabrication of high-performance and multiple-function conductive polymer composites with uniform distribution and high content of carbon-based nanofillers has been a formidable challenge. In this study, a new strategy was introduced to fabricate polyoxymethylene (POM)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and POM/graphene nanoplate (GNP) composites (PMCNT and PMGNP, respectively), with uniform distributions and high contents of MWCNT and GNP, by assisting of miscible poly(l-lactide) (PLLA). As expected, the composites exhibit robust electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, Joule heating, thermal conductivity, and anti-dripping performance. Specifically, the EMI shielding effectiveness of PMCNT40 (with 40 wt% MWCNT) and PMGNP48 (with 48 wt% GNP) reached 45.7 and 44.7 dB with 0.15 mm in thickness. The high electrical and through plane thermal conductivities were 3484 S/m and 1.95 Wm−1K−1, respectively, for PMCNT40, and the corresponding values for PMGNP48 were 2695 S/m and 4.24 Wm−1K−1, respectively. Furthermore, the fabricated composites achieved excellent Joule heating performance, resulting in increases in surface temperature increase to 101.4 °C and 107.6 °C rapidly at the driving voltages of 3.0 V (in case of PMCNT40) and 6.0 V (in case of PMGNP48), respectively. In addition, the composites exhibited excellent solvent resistance and anti-dripping performance, indicating high potential applicability in extreme environments. [Display omitted] •Conductive POM film with high filler loadings was fabricated by PLLA assisting.•Uniform distribution of conductive fillers was achieved in POM matrix.•The 150 μm-thick PMCNT40 film showed an excellent EMI SE of 45.7 dB.•The in-plane thermal conductivity were 36.35 Wm−1K−1 in the PMGNP48 films.•The films also showed robust Joule heating and anti-dripping performance.