Single and double-layered Tri-band Microwave absorbing materials

Absorbers at microwave frequencies with multiple frequency-band response are particularly important for use in military for stealth technology. Specially, ferrite based absorbing materials are significant for electromagnetic shielding and signal attenuation. The enhancement of reflection loss of ferrites along with carbonaceous materials are even more beneficial. Recently double-layer absorbers have extensively studied to meet the requirements of advanced absorbing materials in multiple frequency-band response. It still remains a challenge how to determine the type and thickness to couple the impedance-matching-layer to the absorption-layers for a double-layer absorber. We applied hydrothermal method to prepare Fe3O4 nanoparticle and combine them with either graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to prepare a composite of specific quality to obtain Fe3O4@GO and Fe3O4@rGO nanocomposite. We studied microwave attenuation capabilities of single and double-layer absorbers containing these two materials. We have demonstrated that with a thin impedance matching layer as a first layer and an absorbing layer behind this layer for the double-layered absorber has much higher reflection loss (RL) than a single-layer. The Fe3O4@rGO composite as a single-layer absorber shows the best microwave absorption performance with RL close to −30 dB in all three microwave bands (X, Ku and K bands). The use of a double-layer structure as Fe3O4@GO as impedance matching layer and Fe3O4@rGO as absorbing layer exhibits the best absorption of −50 dB. This is much larger than the single-layered absorbers at all three frequency-bands. Such a performance is superior to many reported ferrite-based carbonaceous composites. Therefore, a double-layer absorber is best suited to coat the whole body of the aircraft or missiles to evade satellite detection, a preparation towards new-generation weapons for future warfare. Before performing the absorption studies we have characterized the ferrites, GO and rGO materials with various microstructural and magnetic characterizations.