Synthesis and electromagnetic wave properties of Ti2.7M0.1T0.2AlC2 (M = Fe, Ni, T = Zr, Mo, W, Ta) powder

Abstract

Presently, there is a growing interest in exploring materials for absorbing electromagnetic waves (EMW). MAX materials stand out as potential absorbers. However, limited attention has been given to understanding the impact of doping on their intrinsic properties. This study innovatively introduces magnetic metallic elements (Fe, Ni) and transition metallic elements (Mo, Zr, W, Ta) simultaneously into the M site of Ti3AlC2, forming novel ternary MAX phase ceramics. Phase and microstructural analyses indicate the successful preparation of a single solid solution with uniformly distributed elements. Notably, Ti2.7Fe0.1Mo0.2AlC2 exhibits the lowest reflection loss at − 33.9 dB. Ti2.7Ni0.1Ta0.2AlC2 demonstrates the widest absorption bandwidth of 5.10 GHz. Importantly, the matching thicknesses for Ti2.7Fe0.1Mo0.2AlC2 and Ti2.7Ni0.1Ta0.2AlC2 are 2.5 mm and 1.97 mm, respectively. This indicates that the material achieves excellent microwave absorption performance while maintaining a lightweight and thin structure, making it suitable for various specific requirements. We systematically investigated the influence of different doping elements on the microwave absorption properties of Ti3AlC2, with a particular emphasis on the simultaneous introduction of magnetic metallic and transition metallic elements. This dual incorporation has significantly enhanced both dielectric and magnetic losses, offering crucial insights for the design of future innovative microwave absorption materials.