Nickel Electrodeposited Textiles as Wearable Radar Invisible Fabrics

Abstract

This work outlines the efforts to qualify a few wearable fabrics electrodeposited with nickel, as efficient absorbents of microwaves in X band. Here two samples of fabrics — a natural fiber based linen and an artificial fiber based nylon fabrics were chosen for electrodeposition. The surface activation of the fabric was carried out through sputtering of platinum, followed by electrodeposition of nickel using Watts bath solution. Interestingly, the two step process has transformed the fabric from an electromagnetic (EM) transparent material to an excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) attenuator, retaining its flexibility and breathability. Microstructural analysis of electrodeposited fabrics showed much thicker and broader Ni deposits for linen than nylon fabric due to the availability of more bundle of fibers. Further, the abundance of lint in linen provide more surface to deposit Ni, which helps in achieving better shielding values. Metallic and ferromagnetic characteristics of the Ni deposited fabric structures were investigated. Exceptional EMI shielding efficiency of 45–52 dB is achieved for Ni deposited linen, which means 99.999% of attenuation is attained. The outcome of this research can lead to the development of lightweight, wearable and flexible ‘radar invisible fabrics’, which has wide range of applicability in defense and healthcare sectors.