Nickel Slag/Laterite Soil and Nickel Slag/Iron Sand Nanocomposites: Structural, Optical, and Electromagnetic Absorption Properties

Abstract

Efforts to produce microwave absorber materials that are inexpensive and environmentally friendly have become a means of greening the environment. The breakthrough can be focused on industrial waste and natural materials for functional purposes and how to enhance their performance. We successfully synthesized nickel slag/laterite soil (NS/LS) and nickel slag/iron sand (NS/IS) nanocomposites using a simple mechanical alloying technique, and the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption capacities of the nanocomposites were measured using a vector network analyzer. The structural properties of the nanocomposites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, where the results of the analysis showed that NS/IS has the largest crystallite size (15.69 nm) and the highest EM wave absorption performance. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were determined from their Fourier transform infrared spectra using the Kramers–Kronig relation. As determined through a quantitative analysis of the optical properties, the distance between the longitudinal and transversal optical phonon wavenumber positions (Δ(LO – TO) = 65 cm–1) is inversely proportional to the reflection loss. The surface morphologies of the nanocomposites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, and the particle diameters were observed by binary image and Gaussian distribution analyses. The nanocomposite surface exhibits a graded-like morphology, which indicates multiple reflections of the EM radiation, consequently reducing the EM interference. The best nanocomposite for an attenuated EM wave achieved a reflection loss of −39.14 dB at 5–8 GHz. A low penetration depth has implications for the electrical charge tuning of the storage and composite magnets. Finally, the EM absorption properties of NS/IS and NS/LS indicate a 2-mm-thick environmentally friendly nanocomposite for EM absorption.

Uncovering the potential of industrial waste: turning discarded resources into sustainable advanced materials

“…Thus, the probability of electron excitation from a lower energy state to a higher energy state in the electronic structure of the material is increased. Based on equation (10), materials with high ELF intensity are related to their ability to be used as photovoltaic devices due to their ability to capture and convert high-energy photons from sunlight into electricity [57,58].…”

“…As shown in figure 1, Several transformations from industrial waste to construction engineering until advanced material development have come to the attention of researchers. Construction materials, cement production, and land reclamation are some of the ideas for reuse, but their conversion into batteries, sensors, x-ray shielding [8], alkaline activators [9], and microwave absorber materials [10,11] has become a more interesting focus. So understanding the properties, composition, and behavior of the material must be revealed through characterization including Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to analyze the properties of these residual substances to obtain its suitability for various applications.…”

Proximity Porosity and Crystallinity Analysis as Clay/Nickel Slag Characteristics for Material Stabilization Application

“…This measurement is performed using X-ray diffractometer SHIMADZU 7000 with CuK𝛼 radiation (𝜆 𝐶𝑢 = 1.54 Å) in the range (2𝜃 = 10 -70 °), operation 30 kV and 10 mA [24]. The diffraction measurement results of the test samples were then analyzed using Match and Maud software followed step from our previous study [25,26]. The principle of this application is to present the diffraction pattern based on the X-ray intensity at an angle of 2θ, which is then matched with the distribution pattern formed that have been stored in the international data base.…”