Mechanically strong hierarchical nanosystem for fire protection and electromagnetic interference shielding

Interest in advanced multifunctional composite materials has generated extensive discussions on materials endowed with high fire-resistance, mechanical strength, and excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. We designed a feasible and low-cost method for preparing mechanically robust thermoplastic polyurethane/triazine-rich polyphosphazene functionalized titanium carbide@copper phytate/carbon fiber fabric (TPU/PZM@CP/CF) nanocomposites with enhanced fire retardancy and EMI shielding performances. The as-prepared TPU/PZM@CP-2.0/CF demonstrated excellent mechanical toughness, with a tensile strength of 57.8 MPa. Additionally, this nanocomposite exhibited superior EMI shielding performances, with an EMI shielding effectiveness of 29.7 dB and a normal shielding effectiveness of 24.8 dB/mm, surpassing that of most other TPU-based nanocomposites. Furthermore, the thermal stability and fire resistance of the TPU/PZM@CP nanocomposites were significantly improved. For instance, the peak of heat release rate and the peak of smoke production rate of the TPU/PZM@CP-2.0 respectively decreased by 41.5% and 21.5%, compared to those of neat TPU. In this work, the simple preparation method and outstanding comprehensive performances of the mechanically strong multifunctional TPU/PZM@CP/CF have tremendous potential for applications in defense, smart electronic device and aerospace.