Electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness and microwave absorption performance of plaster mortars containing metal waste chips in X-band frequency range

Exposure to electromagnetic radiation from digital devices, especially in the radio frequency range, affects human health in buildings. Furthermore, various electronic devices might be vulnerable to electromagnetic pollution in the same manner. Therefore, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding technique is one of the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) engineering phenomena that prevents the detrimental effects by means of electromagnetic pollution, especially in building areas. This work investigates the EMI shielding effectiveness and electromagnetic absorbing activities of plaster mortars containing various waste metals with different ratios. Measurements have been carried out in the frequency range of 8.2–12 GHz. Results concluded that the reference material shows the lowest total shielding effectiveness. The plaster mortar sample containing 20% iron, 3% steel, and 3% chromium showed the maximum EMI shielding effectiveness with a range of 20–24 dB. Measurement results indicated that the absorption capability is the dominant component of the total shielding effectiveness, except for the reference sample. Furthermore, the apparent porosity of each sample was analyzed. The maximum apparent porosity was obtained by chromium chips waste added sample. It was obtained that the iron waste chips increased the apparent porosity of samples.