Stainless Steel Polymer Composites

Abstract In electronic, automotive, medical, and aerospace industries, electrostatic discharge (ESD) control and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding are important design considerations. Conductive polymer composites are well researched and commercially available materials for ESD control and EMI shielding. Several kinds of conductive fillers are incorporated in the form of particulates and fibers in polymer matrix. A comparison between various conductive fillers in polymer matrix is presented. Stainless steel fibers as conductive filler for polymer matrix offer several advantages. Polymer composites show resistivities in the range of 10 3 −10 6  Ω/sq at a volume fraction as low as 0.75 vol% of stainless steel fibers. The effect of filler size, shape of the filler, critical volume fraction, and effect of polymer matrix on the ESD control/EMI shielding properties of the stainless steel‐reinforced conductive polymer composite is discussed. Important parameters are described to obtain effective ESD control and EMI shielding using stainless fiber polymer matrix composites. Several reported stainless steel‐reinforced polymer composites are summarized and their effectiveness for ESD control and EMI shielding is compared.