Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Conductive Ceramic Composite for Energy Conversion and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

A conductive ceramic composite (CCC) based on carbonized phenolic resin is fabricated via a facile and scalable dry-pressing method. A conductive carbonaceous precursor solution is homogeneously mixed with a ceramic precursor. Subsequently, carbonization and ceramicization are achieved simultaneously in a single heating process. The carbonized materials endow the composites with excellent electrical conductivity and reliable cyclic heating properties. The temperature of the obtained composites is approximately 386 °C at 12 V after 10 min and 400 °C at 20 V after 48 s, and their energy consumption is low. Thermal images show that an even heat distribution is achieved on the composite surface, and that the electro-thermal performance can be adjusted by changing the electrical circuit arrangement (series or parallel circuits). In addition, the ceramic composites exhibit favorable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of 26.2 dB at 8.2 GHz and improved photothermal conversion effect compared with the pristine ceramic. More importantly, this single-step heating provides a convenient and cost-effective approach for producing CCCs, thereby enabling the scalable production of conductive ceramics for electro-thermal applications. The excellent electrical performance facilitates the application of ceramic composites in Joule heating (e.g., deicing, boiling water, and cooking) and EMI shielding.