García Pardo, SantiagoAres-Pernas, AnaDopico, SoniaAbad, María-JoséArboleda Clemente, LauraGarcía, Xoan2026-01-282026-01-282013García Pardo, S., Arboleda Clemente, L., Ares-Pernas, A., García, X., Dopico, S. and Abad, M.J. (2013), Toughening strategies of carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites with electromagnetic interference shielding properties. Polymer Composites, 34 (1): 1938-1949. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.22601https://hdl.handle.net/2183/47115This is the peer reviewed version of the following article García Pardo, S., Arboleda Clemente, L., Ares-Pernas, A., García, X., Dopico, S. and Abad, M.J. (2013), Toughening strategies of carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites with electromagnetic interference shielding properties. Polymer Composites, 34 (1): 1938-1949. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.22601 which has been published in final form at. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.[Abstract] The effect of different toughening strategies on the mechanical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composite (PC/MWNT) for electromagnetic interference shielding was analyzed from the mechanical and fracture tests using linear elastic fracture mechanics. The effect of processing (injection and compression molding) and manufacturing (annealing) conditions in the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity has been studied. The classic electromagnetic theory predicts a shielding effectiveness around 40 dB for nanocomposites with 5 wt% of MWNT in the frequency range studied. These values make these compounds to be very interesting materials for potential applications as electronic housings. Therefore, a combination of cyclic form of polybutylene terephthalate addition and annealing strategies let to optimize flexural parameters and improve the flexural modulus of PC composites. The rheology results showed that the dynamic moduli and the viscosity grew with increasing MWNT content. A significant change in frequency dependence of the moduli was observed, with respect to pure PC, which indicates a transition from a liquid-like to a solid-like behavior. Finally, the morphological study proves that the composites display different toughening mechanisms as function of carbon nanotube quantity. This fact could explain the different fracture behaviors of materials. In summary, it has been proved that it is possible to obtain PC/MWNT nanocomposites with relatively high conductivity, minimizing the loss of mechanical properties, using processing techniques easily scalable at industrial level.eng© 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers, WileyToughening strategiesCarbon nanotube/polycarbonate compositesElectromagnetic interferencejournal articleopen access10.1002/pc.22601