Microwave Absorption Performance Research Articles

Investigation of Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties of Ni-Co and MWCNT Nanocomposites.

In recent years, severe electromagnetic interference among electronic devices has been caused by the unprecedented growth of communication systems. Therefore, microwave absorbing materials are required to relieve these problems by absorbing the unwanted microwave. In the design of microwave absorbers, magnetic nanomaterials have to be used as fine particles dispersed in an insulating matrix. Besides the intrinsic properties of these materials, the structure and morphology are also crucial to the microwave absorption performance of the composite. In this study, Ni-Co-MWCNT composites were synthesized, and the changes in electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, and reflectance loss of the samples were evaluated at frequencies of 2 to 18 GHz. Nickel-Cobalt-Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) composites were successfully synthesized by the co-precipitation chemical method. The structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of the samples were characterized and investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), and Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The results revealed that the Ni-Co-MWCNT composite has the highest electromagnetic wave absorption rate with a reflectance loss of -70.22 dB at a frequency of 10.12 GHz with a thickness of 1.8 mm. The adequate absorption bandwidth (RL <-10 dB) was 6.9 GHz at the high-frequency region, exhibiting excellent microwave absorbing properties as a good microwave absorber. Based on this study, it can be argued that the Ni-Co-MWCNT composite can be a good candidate for making light absorbers of radar waves at frequencies 2- 18 GHz.

Suppressed conductive loss of flower-like NiCo2O4-wrapped flaky FeSiAl for excellent low-frequency microwave absorption

Flaky FeSiAl is a high potential absorbent for low-frequency microwave applications. However, impedance mismatching due to its excessively high complex permittivity presents a challenge. Herein, inspired by the surface modification strategy, flaky FeSiAl wrapped with flower-like NiCo2O4 (NiCo2O4@flaky FeSiAl) was developed via a hydrothermal method. The introduction of a surface NiCo2O4 insulating layer was expected to reduce the complex permittivity and increase the high complex permeability in the NiCo2O4@flaky FeSiAl composite. Subsequently, an excellent low-frequency microwave absorption performance was achieved. The designed NiCo2O4@flaky FeSiAl displayed a robust minimum refection loss (RL min) of −33.41 dB at 6.32 GHz and increased the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < −10 dB) to 4.08 GHz when the matching thickness was 1.6 mm. The enhanced low-frequency microwave absorption performance was mainly attributed to the improvement in impedance matching, which originated from the collaborative regulation of electromagnetic parameters. This study provides a promising approach for designing flaky FeSiAl-based composites and high-performance low-frequency microwave absorbents.

Microwave absorption and electromagnetic properties of ultra-high-strength cementitious materials: Influence of basalt powder and underlying mechanism

The utilization of basalt powder in ultra-high-strength cementitious materials (UHSCMs) holds significant potential for application in mitigating CO2 emissions and reducing electromagnetic pollution. This study investigated the microwave absorption and electromagnetic properties of UHSCMs incorporating basalt powder, with the silica-fume-based mix as a comparison. A comprehensive multi-scale investigation was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of the electromagnetic properties of UHSCMs. From the results, the UHSCM with basalt powder was demonstrated to possess improved microwave absorption performance, characterized by a mean reflection loss of −8.22 dB and effective bandwidths of 58.3% (<-7.0 dB) and 26.6% (<-10.0 dB). The enhanced performance of this mixture was attributed to its superior impedance-matching capability and microwave attenuation ability. The dielectric loss peaks within frequency ranges of 7.0–8.5 GHz and 10.0–11.5 GHz were caused by the interfacial polarization of macro pores and gel pores, respectively. The natural resonance, exchange resonance, and eddy current effect were the primary mechanisms of the magnetic loss. CaFeSi2O6 particles from basalt powder contributed to the enhanced natural resonance. In addition, basalt powder had the better market potentials and lower environmental impact as a supplementary cementitious material than silica fume for enhancing microwave absorption of UHSCMs. The finding of this study demonstrated the suitability of adopting basalt powder in UHSCM production with improved greenness and electromagnetic properties.

Cross‐Scale Synergistic Manipulation of Dielectric Genes in Polymetallic Sulfides from Micropolarization to Macroconductance Toward Wide‐Band Microwave Absorption

AbstractRecently, the design and development of efficient microwave absorbents by facile engineering approaches have attracted much attention. Particularly, some unique structures caused by cross‐scale design are promising in enhancing the absorbing capability toward microwave irradiation. Herein, the cross‐scale design strategy is implemented to enhance the electromagnetic wave absorption performance of polymetallic sulfides (PMS). In PMS, the dipole polarization unit is optimized, and the distribution of electronic states is improved by doping Ti atoms; Meanwhile, the MS/M3S4 homogeneous hetero‐phases interfaces is constructed in PMS using a phase separation strategy; and the conductivity of PMS is modulated by the addition of acetylene black (ACET). The cross‐scale synergy of microwave absorption leads to a significant enhancement of the microwave absorption (MA) performance of PMS/ACET composites. The optimal reflection loss value of Ti‐LES with 10% ACET addition reaches −55.49 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth reaches 6.73 GHz. The 17.5% ACET‐conditioned Ti‐HES achieves a reflection loss of −37.2 dB at a low frequency of 4.8 GHz. This study not only provides a novel strategy for the development of new broadband MA materials but also validates a new idea for the multi‐scale synergistic optimization of MA materials.

Optimizing microwave energy utilization & heating efficiency: Comparative analysis of susceptor materials for enhanced microwave absorption performance

Susceptors are vital components in microwave heating systems, ensuring efficient, selective, and uniform heating while improving both energy utilization and time effectiveness in various microwave processing applications. The present investigation underlines the microwave absorption performance of various silicon carbide (SiC) susceptors during microwave hybrid heating. The current study also explores methods, including theoretical analysis, simulations, and experiments, to identify most suitable SiC susceptor materials for efficient microwave heating (high microwave absorbing and energy utilization efficiency). Among all susceptor materials, porous nitride-bonded SiC exhibited combination of high properties including permittivity (9.64), loss tangent (0.268), reflection loss (−13.32 dB) and attenuation constant (21.12 Np/m) when microwave heating carried at 1.2 kW, 900 s. Porous nitride-bonded SiC susceptor emerged as optimal choice for most appropriate susceptor material on the basis of theoretical analysis (reflection loss, impedance, microwave attenuation constant, dielectric properties) as compared to other susceptors. The microwave absorption mechanism of various SiC susceptor materials have been established and summarized. The microwave heating behaviour of various SiC susceptors with different compositions were analysed using COMSOL simulations. A higher microwave utilization efficiency was observed by COMSOL simulation for the porous nitride-bonded SiC (95 %) susceptor than dense nitride-bonded SiC (78 %), dense SiC (69 %) and dense oxide-bonded SiC (58 %). The excellent microwave absorption capability of porous nitride-bonded SiC susceptor can be ascribed to synergistic efforts of various polarization mechanisms: dipole polarization, interfacial polarization, multiple reflections and scatterings, defect-induced dipole polarization and conductive loss.

Ultralight Three-Layer Gradient-Structured MXene/ Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite Aerogels with Broadband Microwave Absorption and Dynamic Infrared Camouflage.

Infrared and radar detectors posed substantial challenges to weapon equipment and personnel due to their continuous surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Traditional single-band stealth devices are insufficient for dual-band detection in both infrared and microwave bands. To overcome this limitation, a gradient-structured MXene/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite aerogel (GMXrGA) is fabricated through a two-step bidirectional freeze casting process, followed by freeze-drying and thermal annealing. GMXrGAexhibits a distinct three-layered structure, with each layer playing a crucial role in microwave absorption. This deliberate design amplifies both the efficiency of microwave absorption and the material's effectiveness in dynamic infrared camouflage. GMXrGA displays an ultralow density of 5.2 mg∙cm-3 and demonstrates exceptional resistance to compression, enduring 200 cycles at a maximum strain of 80%. Moreover, it shows superior microwave absorption performance, with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -60.1dB at a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 14.1GHz (3.9-18.0GHz). Additionally, the aerogel exhibits low thermal conductivity (≈26 mW∙m-1∙K-1) and displays dynamic infrared camouflage capabilities within the temperature range of 50-120°C, achieving rapid concealment within 30 s. Consequently, they hold great potential for diverse applications, including intelligent buildings, wearable electronics, and weapon equipment.

Lightweight titanium dioxide/carbon nanotube composites prepared by atomic layer deposition for broad-band microwave absorption

The microwave absorbing material with appropriate impedance matching and excellent attenuation ability can be applied to resist electromagnetic radiation. In this work, carbon nanotubes were modified by titanium dioxide via the atomic layer deposition method, to prepare lightweight composites with high microwave absorption performance. The impedance matching and attenuation ability of titanium dioxide/carbon nanotube (TiO2/CNT) composites could be precisely controlled by adjusting the number of titanium dioxide deposition cycles. The relationship between the microstructure and microwave absorption performance of the composite was analyzed in detail. When the number of TiO2 deposition cycles was 100, the composite displayed outstanding microwave absorption performance, due to appropriate impedance matching and strong attenuation ability. The maximum effective absorption bandwidth of the composite reached 5.19 GHz (1.6 mm), which almost covered the Ku band. The microwave attenuation mechanism of the composite has also been investigated. This work provided a new idea for fabricating lightweight microwave absorption materials.

Magnetic poly(ionic liquid)/graphene oxide/Fe3O4 composites with multiple loss mechanisms for microwave absorbing

Microwave-absorbing materials are very important to reduce electromagnetic interference and pollution. Combining multi-component materials with multiple loss mechanisms is a practical strategy for enhancing microwave absorption performance. In this work, we synthesize a magnetic poly(ionic liquid) (PVim[FeCl4]) with crosslinkable groups and prepare PVim[FeCl4]/graphene oxide (GO)/Fe3O4 composites by incorporating GO and Fe3O4 to enhance the microwave absorption property of the composites. The synergistic effect of GO and Fe3O4 is studied at different feeding ratios, the PVim[FeCl4]/10%GO/20%Fe3O4 composite shows better microwave absorption performance, with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −49.54 dB at 17.31 GHz and 7.1 mm thickness, along with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 2.52 GHz. This enhancement can be attributed to the quarter-wavelength matching model, well-matched characteristic impedance, and multiple loss mechanisms originating from PVim[FeCl4], GO, and Fe3O4. The magnetic poly(ionic liquid) composites show promising prospects in microwave absorbing materials.

Construction of ZIF/CS and ZIF/CS-derivatives with high-efficiency adsorption for dyes/antibiotics and strong microwave absorption performance

Bimetallic Zn/Co-ZIF was in situ loaded onto the surface of chitosan (CS) to form ZIF/CS composites with high-efficiency adsorption of antibiotics (tetracycline (TC)) and dyes (Congo Red (CR), Malachite Green(MG)). The particle size and surface roughness of Zn/Co-ZIF can be effectively adjusted by changing the mass ratio of Zn and Co in ZIF, which helps to regulate the adsorption active sites on the surface of the composites. Meanwhile, the introduction of CS changes the pore structure of the composites, making the molecules of TC, CR and MG easily enter into the pores of ZIF/CS. When the mass ratio of Zn to Co is 1:1, the ZIF/CS composite has the optimal adsorption performance with the ultra-high adsorption capacity qm of 781.3, 1644.2 and 3243.6mgg-1 for TC, CR and MG, respectively. Impressively, the ZIF/CS-derivative (ZC3-700) from sample ZC3 after calcination at 700 °C under N2 atmosphere owns a good conductive network, which results in its superior microwave absorption performance. Herein, at 30wt% filler loading, the effective absorption bandwidth and RLmin of ZC3-700 reach 5.28GHz at 1.90mm and -68.92dB at 1.83mm, respectively. Analyses on microwave absorption mechanism point out the synergistic effect of conduction loss, dipolar polarization and interfacial polarization and magnetic loss on the attenuation of electromagnetic wave. Therefore, ZIF/CS composites and ZIF/CS-derivatives exhibit superior performance on the removal of water pollutants and the absorption of electromagnetic wave, which essentially reveals a multifunctional application of the ZIF/CS composites in the field of environmental protect.

Lightweight Fe-doped MnO2@C hollow nanocubes for ultra-broadband microwave absorption

The rational structural design and compositional merits as well as the synergistic coupling effect can break the properties of single material and broaden the microwave absorption band. Herein, the unique lightweight Fe-doped MnO2@C hollow nanocubes are rationally designed and successfully synthesized via a scalable wet chemical process and polydopamine coating followed by high-temperature calcination. By virtue of the unique structure and compositional merits, the as-obtained Fe-doped MnO2@C hollow nanocubes (Fe-MnO2@C-HNBs) displayed notable microwave absorption performance (MAP), simultaneously achieving ultra-broad absorption bandwidth and strong absorption characteristics at a low thickness of 2.3 mm (the reflection loss of -41.02 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth of 5.86 GHz). Surprisingly, the effective absorption bandwidth (RL<-10 dB) could reach up to 8.08 GHz and the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) was -38.20 dB at the thickness of 2.7 mm. The results further confirmed that the excellent microwave attenuation ability of the as-prepared Fe-MnO2@C-HNBs composites benefitted from the special “air@core-shell” structure and multiple heterointerfaces as well as multi-component recombination. These results demonstrated that the as-obtained Fe-MnO2@C-HNBs composites could be attractive candidates for broadband microwave absorption materials.

Manganese oxides/graphene aerogels as lightweight microwave absorbers for extreme environment application

The development of microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) with photothermal and electrothermal properties can satisfy special requirements for MAMs used in extreme environment. Herein, manganese oxide/graphene aerogel (MnOx/GA) composites were successfully fabricated by uniformly growing MnOx on GA through combining the hydrothermal and freeze-drying methods. The MnOx/GA composite exhibits a distinctive three-dimensional network structure with heterogeneous interfaces and lattice defects that can optimize the impedance matching and enhance the interfacial polarization, resulting in improved microwave absorption (MA) performance, including absorption intensity and bandwidth. The MnOx/GA sample prepared in this study exhibits an outstanding MA intensity of −54.70 dB at a frequency of 9.92 GHz, accompanied by an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.60 GHz with a sample thickness of 2.60 mm and a filling content of 8.0 wt%. Meanwhile, the simulation of the radar cross section (RCS) further confirms the excellent MA performance and practical application potential of the MnOx/GA material. Additionally, MnOx/GA possesses outstanding electrothermal and photothermal properties, rendering it suitable for application in extreme environments. This work provides an economical, environmentally friendly, and efficient method for preparing lightweight and broadband multi-functional MAMs.

The microwave absorption performance of NiFe2O4 prepared under the gradient magnetic field

The microwave absorption performance of NiFe2O4 prepared under the gradient magnetic field

Pore-confined strategy to achieve controllable growth of Co/CoO in carbon nanofibers for the fabrication of lightweight and enhanced microwave absorbers

In recent years, magnetic metal nanoparticles (NPs)/carbon nanofibers (CNFs) composites have become very promising electromagnetic waves (EMWs) absorbers. However, how to achieve controllable growth of magnetic metals in CNFs is still an urgent problem to be solved. Herein, we reported a pore-confined strategy for constructing the porous Co/CoO/CNFs. By introducing different amounts of acetone (0.20 g, 0.30 g and 0.40 g) into the aqueous phase spinning solution to construct the porous structure, we achieved uniform distribution of Co/CoO NPs and ultimately obtained the porous Co/CoO/CNFs microwave absorbers (MAs) with excellent microwave absorption performance. Thanks to the excellent impedance matching and enhanced polarization loss, the porous Co/CoO/CNFs obtained the minimum reflection loss (RL) of -52.2 dB with a thickness of 3.0 mm, and the effective bandwidth (EBW) was 3.02 GHz when the acetone addition in the spinning solution was 0.30 g. Therefore, the pore-confined strategy proposed herein is conducive to the design of the MAs with excellent performance and low infilling rates based on CNFs. Furthermore, the porous structure of CNFs also improves the lightweight performance of the MAs.

Multidimensional and hierarchical design of biomass-derived carbon nanofiber networks for efficient microwave absorption

Carbon materials have gained significant attention for their potential as highly efficient microwave absorbers. However, it remains a challenge to attain a perfect integration of thin thickness, wide frequency bandwidth, lightweight and strong absorption through structural design of carbon materials. Herein, we design multidimensional and hierarchical carbon nanofiber networks consisting of core-shell carbon nanofibers wrapped by hollow carbon nanoparticles, named CPDA@RCNFs. CPDA@RCNFs which are derived from cellulose and polydopamine (PDA) were prepared by electrostatic spinning, deacetylation, self-polymerization, and carbonization, successively. Thanks to the cooperation of three-dimensional conductive networks, core-shell/hollow/porous structures, as well as doped nitrogen and oxygen heteroatoms, CPDA@RCNFs exhibit excellent comprehensive microwave absorption performance. Specifically, an ultra-strong reflection loss value of -63.31dB and a wide frequency bandwidth of 5.60GHz (12.32-17.92GHz) are achieved at a very thin thickness of 1.8mm with an ultra-low filler loading of 5wt%. This work provides a new insight into the structural design of advanced high-performance microwave absorption carbon materials.

Cost-Effective Preparation and High Performance of High-Temperature Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing Materials Based on Graphene Nanosheets

High cost and resistance to harsh working conditions are challenges faced by most microwave absorbers for wide applications. Here, a low-cost graphene-based high-temperature microwave absorbing material is prepared. When the ratio is adjusted appropriately, excellent absorbing performance can be achieved at room temperature: C-2 is the most efficient material with respect to microwave absorption: it has an effective absorption bandwidth as wide as 4.6 GHz, and the minimum reflection is -39.2 dB with a thickness of 1.5 mm. Using the permittivity and TG data of the composites at 800 °C attained, it is demonstrated that the decomposition temperature of composites can be increased from 450° to 820°. When the mass ratio of graphene nanosheets and water glass is 1:2, the composites have the best high-temperature microwave absorption performance: C-2 exhibited the microwave absorption ability with a minimum reflection loss value of approximately −29.6 dB at 16.4 GHz, a thickness of 1.5 mm even at 800 °C.

Hollow carbon microsphere embedded with Fe nanoparticles for broadband microwave absorption

Nowadays, Fe-based microwave absorption materials still face crucial problems of poor oxidation resistance, lack of dielectric loss and narrow effective absorption bandwidth. In this work, we developed a feasible way of calcining and etching SiO2 microspheres coated Fe3+ and polydopamine (SiO2@Fe3+-PDA) to confine Fe nanoparticles (12 nm) in the hollow carbon microspheres with a thickness of 17 nm, which provides more interfaces and polarization sites to enhance microwave attenuation. With the increase of Fe content, the microwave absorption performance of the sample is gradually improved. When Fe content is 19.7 wt%, the sample has a minimum reflection loss (RL) of −30.9 dB and a broadband absorption bandwidth (RL ≤ −10 dB) of 11.9 GHz (6.1–18 GHz) at the thickness of 4.0 mm. The ultra-wide effective absorption bandwidth is ascribed to synergetic effect of Fe nanoparticles and carbon layer, which provide magnetic loss and dielectric loss, respectively. Moreover, the hollow structure extends the transmission path and induces the multiple scattering of the incident electromagnetic waves. The novel hollow Fe/C microspheres are promising as high-efficiency microwave absorbers with strong microwave absorption and broad absorption bandwidth.

Dielectric-magnetic synergistic construction of 2D FeCo/Co8FeS8/C composites for efficient electromagnetic wave capture

Nowadays, the issue of electromagnetic pollution has become increasingly prominent, underscoring the critical importance of developing high-performance microwave absorbers. This study put forwards the synthesis process of two-dimensional (2D) FeCo/Co8FeS8/C carbon nanosheets, wherein CoSO4 and FeCl3 serve as inorganic salt templates, and dopamine functions as the carbon source. FeCo alloy nanoparticles and Co8FeS8 nanoparticles are loaded on the surface of the carbon layer. 2D structure forms the conductive network, which proves advantages in establishing efficient electronic channels and minimizing conduction losses. The carbon component increases the dielectric constant of the composite and improves its impedance matching, and the FeCo alloy provides a certain ML. The synergistic effect between these components significantly contributes to the exceptional microwave absorption performance of the composites. Accordingly, the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of FeCo/Co8FeS8/C composite reaches −47.4 dB, its effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 5.3 GHz. In particular, CST confirms that radar cross-section reduction value of FeCo/Co8FeS8/C composite can reach 20.2 dB m2 in the range of −90° < phi< 90°, indicating a high microwave attenuation ability. The study introduces a novel strategy for advancing the development of two-dimensional carbon-based absorption materials.

High-performance NiTi-C nanofibers microwave absorbent prepared by electrospinning

Carbon nanofibers embedded with magnetic NiTi nanoparticles have been synthesized using electro-spinning technique, followed by one-step carbonization. By using NiTi-CFs as filler with 7.5%content, the sample achieved a very high effective absorption bandwidth(EAB) of 6.1GHz (11.4-17.5GHz)at the thickness of 1.97mm. The effective absorption coverage of different microwave bands can be achieved by adjusting the thickness of the material. Adjusting the thickness of the material at 1.35mm to 5mm can achieve coverage from 3.7GHz to 18GHz. The superior properties might be due to the great impedance matching, rich dielectric loss and magnetic loss basis, excellent 1/4 λ space structure. This work presents a facile and promising method to produce high performance microwave absorption materials with thin thickness, light weight and strong absorption, as well as a detailed study of its wave absorbing basis.

Facile synthesis of vaterite CaCO3 microspheres from carbon capture and solid waste utilization towards microwave absorption and dye wastewater adsorption

Mineralization of CO2 to minerals like calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has been considered as an effective approach to combat global warming. In this paper, Ca2+ ions were firstly extracted from waste carbide slag, and then facilely transformed to vaterite CaCO3 via disperse bubbling carbonization method assisted with an air stone. By optimizing the reaction conditions, highly mono-dispersed vaterite CaCO3 microspheres (VCMs) were obtained. These microspheres consisted of aggregated CaCO3 nanocrystals, bearing a mesoporous structure. As a proof-of-concept, these mesoporous microspheres were utilized for dye adsorption and electromagnetic (EM) microwave absorption. For the former, the VCMs were used to adsorb Congo red, yielding a fast adsorption time of 9 min and a high adsorption capacity of 138.77 mg/g. For the latter, EM microwave dielectric parameters were measured, and dye-adsorbed VCMs exhibited better microwave-absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss of −43.2 dB, about 3 times of pristine vaterite. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of solid-waste-derived VCMs as microwave absorbent and dye adsorbent. Considering the low-cost, eco-friendly and facile preparation and effective utilization of VCMs, our work provides a promising strategy for large-scale carbon capture, solid waste utilization, and treatment of microwave and wastewater pollution.

Multifunctional carbon aerogels loaded with pea-pod-like carbon nanotubes for outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption performance

Although ordered porous carbon materials (PCMs) have shown promising potential in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA), creating multifunctional PCMs with outstanding microwave absorption performance remains a significant challenge. Herein, ordered porous carbon aerogels loaded with pea-pod-like nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated via orientation freeze-drying followed by high-temperature pyrolysis. The optimized aerogel exhibits extraordinary EWA performance with a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 7.68 GHz and exceptionally strong absorption of −91.58 dB at a low filling ratio of only 3 wt%, which is the largest absorption strength among all known aerogels to date. The exceptional EWA performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of abundant loss mechanisms resulting from a unique pod-like structure in ordered porous carbon aerogel, where nitrogen-doped CNTs encapsulate magnetic alloy nanoparticles. Optimized aerogel exhibits superior compressive elasticity, thermal insulation, and light weight, laying the groundwork for designing practical next-generation EWA materials.