Scalable Graphene Fiber-Mediated Aramid Papers via Hierarchical Topology Network Reconstruction for Highly Integrated Thermal Management and Microwave Absorption

Abstract

Aramid-based materials integrating electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption and thermal dissipation are in urgent demand to mitigate electromagnetic interference and heat accumulation in high-frequency and high-power-density electronics. However, achieving broadband synergistic enhancement at low filler loading remains a great challenge due to the trade-off between electromagnetic control and phonon transport in hierarchical fibrous networks. Herein, we propose a graphene fibers (GFs)-mediated modulation strategy to construct an aspect-ratio-tailored hierarchical percolation network within an aramid fiber paper (AFP) matrix via a scalable wet-papermaking process. By decoupling GF content and fiber length, the topological configuration and electromagnetic parameters of the hierarchical network are precisely tailored to bridge the gap between dielectric loss and thermal conduction. At a low loading of 4 wt.% GF, the optimized GF-modified AFP (GAFP) achieves a minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of −82.6 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 2.4 GHz at a matching thickness of 2.55 mm, while delivering an exceptional in-plane thermal conductivity (K) of 4.1 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹. The resulting GAFP enables selective electromagnetic wave absorption covering the C, X, and Ku bands through network adjustments. Moreover, a mechanical compensation effect of high-aspect-ratio GFs mitigates the strength degradation typically associated with functional fillers. This work provides a universal network topology design framework for multifunctional fiber-reinforced composites in aerospace and advanced electronics.

Keywords

Graphene fibers / Aramid paper / Thermal management / Electromagnetic wave absorption / Hierarchical network assembly

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China(52272046)

Pioneer” and “Leading Goose” R&D Program of Zhejiang(2026C02A1055)

Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(LR23E020003)

National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFA1205300)

National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFA1205301)

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2262025-00219)

the Joint Research Program of Shaoxing University and Shaoxing Institute, Zhejiang University (2023LHLG008)

Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2024ME198)

Qingdao Natural Science Foundation (25-1-1-96-zyyd-jch)

State Key Project of International Cooperation Research(2023YFE0201100)

Hundred Talents Program of Zhejiang University (188020*194231701/113112300+1944223R3/003)

Hundred Talents Program of Zhejiang University(112300+1944223R3/004))

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Donghua University, Shanghai, China