The Reflection, Transmission and Absorption of Electromagnetic Wavesin Stainless Steel/Polyester Fabrics

Abstract

The reflection, transmission, and absorption behaviors of electromagnetic waves in fabrics have been studied by a network analyzer at 30 MHz~1500 MHz and 0 dBm. The fabrics used in this study were made by a stainless steel/polyester spun yarn. The component ratios of stainless steel/polyester fiber in spun yarns were 10/90, 20/80, 30/70, and 40/60. There were two kinds of fabrics, which were meshed fabrics in density of 7×7 picks per inch and the woven fabrics in density of 80×65 picks per inch. The EMI shielding characteristics were divided into three behaviors, such as reflection, transmission, and absorption behaviors. The results showed that electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) in woven and meshed fabrics rose with an increase of frequency. It was found that reflection is a major factor of EMI SE for higher conductive fabrics, and absorption is a major factor of EMI SE for lower conductive fabrics. A decrease of reflectance and an increase of absorbance resulted from an increase of frequency.