Constructing 3D Tent-Like frameworks in melamine hybrid foam for superior microwave absorption and thermal insulation

Abstract

Taking serious electromagnetic pollution and practical application requirements into consideration, it’s imperative to develop multifunctional microwave absorption materials. In this work, the phenol–formaldehyde resin (PF) successfully adheres to melamine–formaldehyde foam (MF) as three-dimensional (3D) porous frameworks, and subsequently the substrate anchors few-layered MXene nanosheets by dripping-squeeze-drying procedures. According to the results, the hollow tent-like structure of MXene/PF@MF (MPM) shows a significant effect on microwave absorption capability, including extending heterogeneous interfaces for polarization relaxation and prolonging microwave propagation paths for energy dissipation. Based on the synergy of multiple components and rational structure, MPM exhibits a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of −58.8 dB at 2.2 mm and achieves an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.74 GHz covering the entire Ku band. The microwave absorption mechanism reveals that the superior microwave absorption capability results from high conduction loss, polarization relaxation, multiple attenuations, and appropriate impedance matching. Furthermore, the MPMs possess lightweight features (32.7–48.7 g cm−3) and low thermal conductivity (0.0309–0.0318 W m−1 K−1) benefitting the unique 3D porous structure. Meanwhile, the low thermal conductivity endows MPMs with infrared stealth, which broadens the application in military fields. This work proposes a facile strategy for constructing highly efficient microwave absorbers with multiple functions.