Ceramic-based electromagnetic interference shielding materials: mechanisms, optimization strategies, and pathways to next-generation applications

With the rapid advancement of wireless communication technologies and electronic devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) has emerged as a critical factor affecting the reliability and performance of electronic systems, particularly in high-demand sectors such as aerospace, defense, and next-generation communication networks. Traditional EMI shielding materials, including metal and carbon-based composites, are inherently limited, such as high weight, susceptibility to corrosion and insufficient environmental stability. Ceramic-based EMI shielding materials have attracted increasing attention as promising alternatives due to their tunable dielectric and magnetic properties, superior thermal and chemical stability, and favorable cost-effectiveness. Nevertheless, challenges remain in optimizing their electrical conductivity and microstructural design to achieve high-efficiency EMI shielding performance. Therefore, the development of ceramic materials that combine lightweight characteristics, high mechanical strength, thermal stability, and excellent EMI shielding effectiveness is essential for addressing the growing demands posed by complex electromagnetic environments.

Recently, a team of material scientists led by Bingbing Fan from Zhengzhou University, China first reviewed a comprehensive analysis of the EMI shielding mechanisms, advanced synthesis techniques, and material optimization strategies for ceramic-based EMI shielding materials.

The team published their work in Journal of Advanced Ceramics on October 27, 2025.

“In this report, we reviewed systematically examines the research advancements in ceramic-based EMI shielding materials from two perspectives: the fundamental principles of EMI shielding and structural optimization design. It emphasizes that the rational design of such materials necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of the synergistic interactions among electrical conductivity, dielectric properties, and microstructural characteristics.” said Bingbing Fan, professor at School of Materials Science and Engineering at Zhengzhou University (China), a senior expert whose research interests focus on the field of functional ceramics material.

“In the medium to high-temperature range (300–600°C), the electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance of traditional ceramics are typically enhanced via doping or integration with carbonaceous materials. When temperatures exceed 1000°C, the dominant shielding mechanism transitions from conduction loss to a more complex absorption-dominated process driven by dielectric relaxation, interface polarization, and other related phenomena, for both conventional and emerging high-entropy ceramics. Nevertheless, prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures may induce detrimental effects such as oxidation and phase transformations, resulting in degradation of EMI shielding performance.” said Bingbing Fan.

“Given the compositional complexity, multi-scale nature, and multi-field coupling environments associated with high-entropy ceramics, traditional trial-and-error approaches are increasingly insufficient. Fortunately, first-principles calculations provide insights into electronic structures, mechanical stability, and thermophysical properties, aiding in the screening of promising candidate components. Molecular dynamics simulations elucidate high-temperature mechanisms including phase transitions, oxidation kinetics, and deformation behavior. Machine learning models capture complex nonlinear relationships, recommend optimal compositions and processing parameters, substantially reduce experimental iterations, and enhance development efficiency.” said Bingbing Fan.

“Future research should focus on the following areas. (1) Wideband compatibility design: Developing frequency-adaptive ceramic composites to meet the communication demands of 5G/6G and terahertz technologies; (2) Multifunctional integration: Integrating EMI shielding with thermal management, mechanical load-bearing, and environmental protection to address the requirements of extreme environments such as aerospace and high-power electronics; (3) Smart responsive materials: Investigating ceramics capable of responding to temperature, electric, or magnetic fields for dynamic shielding regulation; (4) AI-driven innovation: Leveraging machine learning and high-throughput computational methods to accelerate material discovery, performance prediction, and process optimization, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional trial-and-error approaches.” said Bingbing Fan.

Other contributors include Yang Li, Mengying Zhang, Jianing Chen, Xianhu Liu, Ming Huang, Chuntai Liu, Gang Shao and Hailong Wang from Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China; Yuchang Qing from Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, China.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52572086, 52502371), Natural Science Foundation of Henan (242300421010), Henan Province Natural Science Foundation Outstanding Youth Fund Project (242300421009), and the Henan Province science and technology research project (252102230037).

About Author

Bingbing Fan is currently a professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering in Zhengzhou University, China. She received his Ph.D. degree from Zhengzhou University/City University of Hong Kong. She mainly engages in the research of for high-temperature microwave sintering materials, electromagnetic wave absorption materials. She has published more than 110 papers in peer-reviewed international journals with citations ca 5000 times. She also serves as vice editor-in-Chief of Journal of Advanced Ceramics.

About Journal of Advanced Ceramics

Journal of Advanced Ceramics (JAC) is an international academic journal that presents the state-of-the-art results of theoretical and experimental studies on the processing, structure, and properties of advanced ceramics and ceramic-based composites. JAC is Fully Open Access, monthly published by Tsinghua University Press, and exclusively available via SciOpen. JAC’s 2024 IF is 16.6, ranking in Top 1 (1/33, Q1) among all journals in “Materials Science, Ceramics” category, and its 2024 CiteScore is 25.9 (5/130) in Scopus database. ResearchGate homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Journal-of-Advanced-Ceramics-2227-8508