Modeling the shielding effectiveness of metallized fabrics

A semi-empirical model describing the plane wave shielding effectiveness (SE) of metallized fabrics, both woven and non-woven, has been developed. The model incorporates the plane wave shielding theory of homogeneous metal foils, meshes, and thick perforated metal panels into a formulation for predicting the shielding effectiveness of metallized fabrics. Data is presented from 10 MHz to 17 GHz which shows the effects of surface resistivity, maximum fabric pore size, and fabric thickness on the shielding effectiveness of the metallized material. The model predictions are compared to measured data for low copper and high copper content nylon non-woven fabrics.