Fabrication and electromagnetic interference shielding performance of open-cell foam of a Cu–Ni alloy integrated with CNTs

•Cu–Ni alloy open-cell foam integrated with CNTs was used for EMI shielding.•The composite was prepared by electroless, electro-, and electrophoretic deposition.•The main shielding mechanism was multiple reflections and absorptions of microwaves.•The composite had a porous structure, large surface area, and inherent permeability. A lightweight multi-layered electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material made of open-cell foam of a Cu–Ni alloy integrated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was prepared by electroless copper plating, then nickel electroplating, and finally electrophoretic deposition of CNTs. The foamed Cu–Ni–CNT composite comprises, from inside to outside, Cu, Ni, and CNT layers. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and EMI tests were employed to characterize the morphology, composition, and EMI performance of the composite, respectively. The results indicated that the shielding effectiveness (SE) of the composite increased with increasing pore density (indicated as pores per inch (PPI)) and increasing thickness. A specimen with a PPI of 110 and a 1.5-mm thickness had a maximum SE of up to 54.6dB, and a SE as high as 47.5dB on average in the 8–12GHz range. Integrating the inherent superiority of Cu, Ni, and CNTs, the porous structure of the composite can attenuate the incident electromagnetic microwaves by reflecting, scattering, and absorbing them between the metallic skeleton and the CNT layer. The multiple reflections and absorptions make it difficult for the microwaves to escape from the composite before being absorbed, thereby making the composite a potential shielding material.