Preparation of carbon materials from corn cobs and performance in reflection loss and electromagnetic shielding
摘要
With the rapid advancement of electronic communication technologies, electromagnetic pollution and interference from various electronic devices pose risks to both the environment and human health. As a result, research on electromagnetic shielding materials is intensifying. New electromagnetic shielding materials can be produced cost-effectively using biomass carbon materials. This study prepared corn cob-based carbon materials at 700 °C using four methods: direct carbonization, KOH-activated carbonization, Fe3⁺/Fe2⁺ impregnation carbonization, and a combined KOH activation Fe3⁺/Fe2⁺ impregnation method. The combined-method material exhibited the best overall electromagnetic shielding performance among all the carbon materials. The carbon powder, with a thickness of 1.1 mm, showed the lowest reflection loss of − 26.63 dB at 3.09 GHz, with a − 15 dB bandwidth of 1.85 GHz. Regarding shielding effectiveness, the material maintained a value below − 15 dB across the 1–6 GHz range, with a − 20 dB bandwidth of 2.14 GHz. The minimum value of − 34.17 dB occurred at 2.64 GHz. Compared to the directly carbonized sample, the sample carbonized using the combined method effectively combined the pore-forming capability of KOH activation with the magnetic loss from Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The electromagnetic shielding and absorption performance of the combined-method material was well explained by its electromagnetic parameters, particularly the total electromagnetic loss tangent.