Tunable and efficient electromagnetic interference shielding properties of Cu-Fe alloy prepared by powder metallurgy

Microstructure, electrical conductivity, magnetic properties, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of hot-pressed and hot-rolled Cu-Fe alloys were investigated in this paper. The results show that the Cu-Fe alloys are Cu and magnetic α-Fe mixtures. As increasing Fe content, the electrical conductivity decreases significantly, while the saturation magnetic induction intensity and the coercivity present an evident increasing trend. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of Cu-Fe alloy decreases gradually with increasing Fe content in low frequency, and the SE values present a significant downward trend as increasing the frequency in high frequency. Owing to the suitable conductivity and magnetic properties, the average SE value of Cu-20Fe alloy with 0.24mm thickness stabilizes at 109.7dB over the entire frequency range, indicating the tunable and efficient EMI shielding properties. The Cu-Fe alloys fabricated here could be qualified as an idea candidate for EMI shielding applications in the electronic and communication field.