Engineers at Drexel University have developed a coating and related new fabric called MXene. The new MXene coating is a two-dimensional material that is electrically conductive, has been shown to be very effective at blocking electromagnetic waves and potentially harmful radiation, and can be woven into clothing and other accessories. As manufacturers incorporate sensing and communication technologies into smart fabrics, the demand for fabrics that block electromagnetic waves is increasing. The researchers believe that the fabric coated with MXene is designed to shield against device tracking and hacking, while protecting people from intense microwave radiation.
Wearables may also need to block out the kind of electromagnetic interference often generated by mobile devices such as smartphones. With the new coating, this type of shielding can be integrated together as part of clothing. Scientists have long known that MXene can shield electromagnetic interference better than other materials, that it can be coated on fabrics, and that it retains its unique shielding capabilities.
The researchers show that MXene can be stably made into spray coatings, inks or paints, allowing it to be applied to textiles while adding minimal weight and not taking up extra space. Studies have shown that if ordinary cotton or linen is dipped in MXene solution, it can block electromagnetic interference with an effect greater than 99.9%.
The MXene sheets suspended in solution naturally adhere to the fibers of traditional cotton and linen fabrics due to their electric charge. The researchers report that this charge produces a thorough and long-lasting coating that does not require any pre-treatment or post-treatment processes to produce most commercially conductive yarns and fabrics. After two years of storage under normal conditions, fabrics coated with this process lose only about 10% of their shielding efficiency.
