Work

Microwave-assisted rapid metallization of carbon fiber surfaces

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background The metallization of carbon fibers (CFs) has become a promising strategy to significantly enhance electrical conductivity, enabling advanced applications in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and electrothermal systems. Nevertheless, conventional metallization techniques often suffer from insufficient interfacial adhesion, intricate processing steps, and unfavorable environmental implications. Method In this study, a rapid and environmentally benign approach is proposed, combining tannic acid (TA)-mediated surface functionalization with microwave-assisted reduction. TA modification (CF@TA) enables the chelation of silver ions onto the CF surface, which are subsequently reduced in situ to generate silver nanocrystals (CF@TA-Ag(N)). Microwave irradiation expedites reaction kinetics and promotes uniform deposition, resulting in a dense, continuous, and strongly adherent silver layer (CF@TA-Ag(L)) within only 5 minutes. Significant finding The CF@TA-Ag(L) specimens exhibit an electrical conductivity of 17,480 S·m -1 , representing a 670-fold increase compared with pristine CFs. These fibers retain mechanical integrity after 200 bending cycles, 30 min of ultrasonication and 100 tape cycles. Moreover, a high EMI shielding effectiveness of 75.2 dB is achieved, accompanied by notable low-voltage electrothermal performance, reaching 59.2 °C at only 1 V. This facile fabrication route offers substantial potential for applications in electromagnetic protection and energy-efficient heating technologies.

Source: Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtice.2026.106673