Characterization of Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polyamide-Based Composites for Automotive Electronic Components

Recently, the rapid growth of the carbon composite market for electric and hydrogen vehicles has driven the demand for advanced materials and collaborative ecosystems to accelerate the transition to future mobility. As mobility components become highly advanced and integrated, the proliferation of electronic components increases the need for multifunctional composites that offer both lightweighting and efficient heat dissipation. Carbon-based composites must simultaneously provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, thermal management, and flame retardancy, making the integration of specialized additives essential. In this study, carbon-based engineering plastic composites were fabricated using polyamide 66 (PA66) as the base matrix, with recycled carbon fiber (r-CF) and graphite added at varying contents to evaluate their mechanical, thermal, and EMI shielding properties. To assess the impact of these additives, specific gravity, tensile strength, heat deflection temperature (HDT), and melt index (MI) were analyzed. The results demonstrated that increasing the additive content led to a decrease in mechanical strength but an increase in the heat deflection temperature. Additionally, the melt index decreased as the r-CF content increased. Based on these findings, an optimal formulation was determined by balancing extrusion and injection molding processability.