Microwave absorbability of unidirectional SiC fiber composites as a function of the constituents’ properties

Abstract

The electromagnetic properties of unidirectional SiC fibre composites can be efficiently tailored by adjusting the properties of the composite’s constituents making these composites potential microwave absorbers. In this study, the microwave absorbing properties of unidirectional SiC fibre composites were investigated based on the electromagnetic properties of the constituents at frequencies ranging from 8 to 18 GHz. The composite was composed of two types of SiC fibres that individually exhibit relatively high and low electrical conductivity. The matrix together with the low-conductivity SiC fibres were characterized by effective permittivity and conductivity which provided a theoretical calculation of the microwave reflectivity. The theoretical calculation was based on formulas about anisotropic unidirectional composites and was compared to the results obtained from numerical simulations. There was good agreement in the results obtained from both methods. It was found that the intensity of microwave absorption of the composite was dependent primarily on the properties of the high-conductivity SiC fibres. The absorption band appeared to be dependent on the effective permittivity of the matrix and the low-conductivity SiC fibres and the conductivity of the high-conductivity SiC fibres.