Comparison of low cost shielding-absorbing cement paste building materials in X-band frequency range using a variety of wastes

General concern for potential health effects of 24 h electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure has increased over the last few years. This has led to the necessity of developing low cost electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and especially absorbing building materials. In the present study, the utilization of metallurgical slags and scrap tire wastes in cement paste for this purpose was investigated. Chemical and mineralogical analyses were performed to characterize all materials examined in this work. The results showed that cement paste specimens prepared by the addition of slags exhibited better shielding efficiency than similar ones based on tires waste, while absorption performance was increased and reached 80–85% for one admixture containing each waste respectively, all tested in the same X-band frequency range (8–12 GHz). Finally, the technological and environmental requirements for these cement based building materials were also established.