Highly filled biochar/ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/linear low density polyethylene composites for electromagnetic interference shielding

Highly filled biochar/ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites were prepared using extrusion and hot-compression methods. Bamboo charcoal (BC) carbonized at 1100 °C exhibited good electrical conductivity and had strong interfacial interactions with the polymer matrix. The addition of BC remarkably improved the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of the composites; the composite with 80 wt.% BC had a conductivity of 107.6 S/m and an ultra-high EMI SE of 46.7 dB at 1500 MHz. The loading of BC did not severely affect the crystal structure of the UHMWPE/ LLDPE blend.