Title: Sustainable microwave absorption using banana leaf-derived activated carbon composites
Abstract:
This invited talk presents the development of thin, flexible electromagnetic absorbers based on activated carbon derived from banana leaves, offering a sustainable and high-performance approach to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The activated carbon was synthesized through controlled carbonization and comprehensively characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), confirming its porous morphology and thermal stability. The activated carbon was subsequently incorporated into flexible films of varying thicknesses, exhibiting uniform morphology, structural integrity, and excellent mechanical flexibility. Electromagnetic characterization in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz) demonstrated that the optimized 0.8 mm thick film achieved a total shielding effectiveness of 22.09 dB, with an absorption contribution of 19.81 dB, accounting for approximately 90% of the overall attenuation. Moreover, the film exhibited a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.2 GHz, enabling efficient EMI suppression over a wide frequency range. The talk highlights the potential of banana leaf-derived activated carbon as an eco-friendly, lightweight, flexible, and effective material for next-generation electromagnetic shielding and absorption applications.
