Development of cellulose nanocomposites for electromagnetic shielding applications by using dynamic network

Abstract

The scientific community has recently shown a growing interest in novel, affordable, biodegradable materials made from renewable resources that can be applied to various applications. Cellulosic nanocomposites have been demonstrated to be promising materials due to their capacity to combine properties of different materials, such as mechanical, thermal, rigidity, processability, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. Cellulose is a carbohydrate that can be obtained from plants and is one of the most common polymers on the planet since it is present in almost all plants and acts as the main structural component of their cell walls. Oxygen atoms join glucose molecules to form their chemical structure. This study deals with the composite materials of magnetite nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) added to cellulosic materials for electromagnetic shielding. A series of physical and mechanical tests showed that the nanoparticle addition improved the paper's properties. The thermogravimetric analysis results show that the mass does not decrease by more than 50% between a temperature range of 50°C to 1000°C. The homogeneity and roughness of shaped materials are evaluated using their Haralick textures method. These textures demonstrate that the materials’ uniformity and roughness are suitable. The cellulose/MWCNT samples’ electrical characteristics revealed high resistance, almost no phase, and highly conductive. The SE_t of the total effective shielding was calculated using the insertion method to be >20 dB. An analysis of the study's results indicates that nanocomposites have the potential for technological applications, including use in electronic devices, battery components, and materials to shield against electromagnetic interference, particularly when they are incorporated into them.