Foam structure to improve microwave absorption properties of silicon carbide/carbon material

Abstract

Foam structure materials are well known for their lightweight, efficient, and broadband microwave absorption properties compared to bulk material. However, little has been understood about the effect of a foam structure on the absorption performance of the foam material. In this study, the role of foam structure properties of the silicon carbide/carbon (SiC/C) foam material on microwave absorption is explored using experiment and simulation. We find that the foam structure of SiC/C foam material causes diffraction, multiple reflections, improves the interfacial polarization, and compatibilization. The absorption performance of SiC/C foam material is also studied. The -10 dB effective absorption bandwidth can be adjusted from 4.0 GHz to 18 GHz by tuning SiC/C foam material thickness to 3–7 mm. Therefore, the foam structure design is an effective way to improve the absorption performance of the SiC/C foam material.