Coconut Shell-Derived Pyrolysed Carbon for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Pyrolyzed carbon materials derived from the organic wastes have shown promising results to be used in wide variety of applications. Because of its porosity, high graphitic content and low density, these carbon materials have been identified as suitable material for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding. However, a detailed study of the structural and property evolution during pyrolysis is necessary to tune the microstructure, morphology and EMI shielding property to use these materials effectively. In this work, the coconut shell derived carbon is characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the evolution of EMI shielding effectiveness of pyrolyzed carbon derived from coconut shell is studied. Coconut shells are subjected to pyrolysis at different high temperatures 600 o C (CSP600), 800 o C (CSP800), and 1000 o C (CSP1000) to produce pyrolyzed carbon. The morphology studies using SEM shows the evolution of surface porosity at higher pyrolyzing temperature. BET analysis confirms the increase in the porosity with increase in temperature. The analysis carried out using Raman spectroscopy and XRD confirms the ordering and growth of sp2 graphitic domains. Vector network analyzer (VNA) is used for finding EMI shielding efficiency. Preliminary result indicates that the coconut shell-derived carbon exhibits a promising shielding effectiveness above 14 dB, with a significant absorption and reflection of electromagnetic waves in the 8-12 GHz frequency range. The results suggest that the coconut shell derived carbon can be used as a sustainable and cost-effective material for EMI shielding applications. These bio-based materials like pyrolyzed carbon from coconut shells can offer an eco-friendly alternative to conventional synthetic materials, contributing to sustainable development in EMI shielding technologies.