Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene-Reinforced Polyimide Nanocomposites for Aerospace Shielding Applications

Polyimide (PI)–MXene nanocomposites provide a lightweight approach to combine structural durability with electromagnetic shielding for aerospace applications. In this study, PI–Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene nanocomposites were fabricated with varied filler loadings and subsequently annealed in argon to enhance MXene stability and interfacial bonding. The resulting hybrid leverages the thermal stability and mechanical robustness of PI with the high electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capability of Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene. Whereas pristine PI films degrade under atomic oxygen (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) exposure, and MXenes alone are prone to oxidation, their integration with controlled annealing offers a pathway to overcome these limitations. Four-probe measurements revealed a markedly reduced resistivity of 9.7 × 10⁻⁷ Ω·m in the composite. Further studies will evaluate its tensile strength as well as electrostatic and EMI shielding performance. The PI–Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene nanocomposite is anticipated to exhibit the robustness and multifunctionality required for next-generation aerospace structural materials.