Ag-metallized PPTA reinforced PPS films with durable electromagnetic shielding and low-voltage-driven Joule heating performance

PPS-PPTA-Ag laminated films were fabricated for durable EMI shielding. • Ag-metallized PPTA fabric forms a continuous conductive textile network. • PPS encapsulation enhances structural integrity and environmental stability. • The composite delivers 64.3 dB EMI SE with excellent shielding durability. • Rapid and stable low-voltage Joule heating is enabled by the Ag network. The growing demand for lightweight and portable electronic products is driving the development of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with superior and stable shielding effectiveness (SE). Herein, silver (Ag)-metallized poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) fabric/poly (phenylene sulfide) (PPS) laminated films were fabricated by polydopamine-assisted electroless Ag deposition and hot pressing for durable EMI shielding. The Ag coating transformed insulating PPTA fabric into a continuous conductive textile network, while PPS encapsulation endowed the composite with thermal stability, solvent resistance, and structural protection. The resulting PPS-PPTA-Ag film exhibited a high EMI SE of 64.3 dB in the X-band, with only a 0.6 dB decrease after 1000 bending cycles. It also retained a high SE of 62.9 dB after flame exposure and showed negligible degradation after 7 days of immersion in acidic solution, alkaline solution, and common organic solvents. Moreover, the laminated film demonstrated excellent tensile strength (∼335 MPa) and improved tribological performance. Benefiting from the continuous Ag conductive network, it enabled rapid low-voltage Joule heating, reaching 91.2 °C within 50 s at 2.0 V, along with stable cyclic and long-term electrothermal performance. These results indicate that the PPS-PPTA-Ag composite film shows great potential for durable EMI shielding and electrically driven thermal management applications.