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Electromagnetic interference shielding composites obtained from waste face masks, MXene and polyethylene terephthalate micro plastics
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Researchers repurposed waste face masks and recovered polyethylene terephthalate microplastics from water to fabricate electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites combined with MXene. The resulting material achieved 30.5 dB shielding effectiveness, demonstrating that microplastics removed from the environment can be upcycled into functional industrial materials rather than remaining as persistent waste. This approach offers a creative solution to a key gap in microplastic remediation: what to do with plastics after they are captured.
Since the COVID-19 in 2019, people have made a lot of progress in the recycling of waste face masks (FMs) pollution. Besides, conducting polymer composites (CPCs) possessing excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) are effective method to prevent the harm caused by electromagnetic pollution. Finally, effective measures are needed to reduce the harm of micro plastics (MPs) pollution in water environment. However, in the current research on the removal of MPs, after being removed from water, MPs still exist as a waste and cannot be further recycled. Therefore, the pollution problem of MPs has not been fundamentally solved. Herein, FMs, polyethylene terephthalate MPs (PET MPs) and MXene were used to fabricate EMI shielding composites with isolated conductive networks structure via the adhesion of polydopamine (PDA). The effects of isolated conductive networks, different sizes of PET MPs and different layers of FMs on the adsorption properties of FMs-PDA-MXene, as well as electrical performance for the obtained PP-PDA-MXene composites were studied. The composites displayed EMI SE for 30.5 dB in X-band with 1.5 vol.% MXene content due to the isolated conductive networks structure. This study points out the direction for thoroughly solving the recycling problem of Microplastics after being removed from water.
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Researchers upcycled waste COVID-19 masks by coating their polypropylene fibers with tannic acid and graphene nanoplatelets, producing a nanocomposite material with a thermal conductivity of 87 W m-1 K-1 and electromagnetic interference shielding of 88 dB—performance suitable for advanced electronics while diverting plastic mask waste from landfills.
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Scientists created a biodegradable plastic material (made from plant-based plastics PLA and PBS) that can block electromagnetic radiation from electronics almost as well as conventional plastics, but without the lasting environmental and microplastic pollution problems, since it can break down through composting. By adding small amounts of carbon fiber and zinc oxide nanoparticles, they made the material highly effective at absorbing electromagnetic interference, offering a more eco-friendly option for shielding devices like phones, computers, and other electronics that surround us daily.
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