This study reports on the effects of melt mixing conditions on the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of stainless-steel fiber (SSF)/polypropylene (PP) composites. The impact of melt mixing conditions on SSF/polymer composites remains unexplored, despite their significant effects on the final properties of the composites. PP composites containing 5.0 vol% SSF were fabricated using batch melt mixing at different mixing durations (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0, and 10 min) and rotational speeds (20, 50, 100, and 150 rpm). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphological examination revealed that increased mixing speeds and extended mixing durations improved the dispersion of SSF while degrading its aspect ratio. The electrical resistivity and EMI SE of SSF/PP composites showed a significant dependence on processing conditions. SSF/PP composites processed at short mixing times (regardless of the rotational speed) or at low mixing speeds (regardless of the mixing time) exhibited the highest electrical conductivity and EMI SE. These findings highlight the need to optimize processing parameters to improve the performance of SSF/PP composites for electrical conductivity and EMI shielding applications.
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