High frequency electromagnetic reflection loss performance of substituted Sr-hexaferrite nanoparticles/SWCNTs/epoxy nanocomposite

• We investigate the high frequency properties of Sr-hexaferrite/SWCNTs composite.
• Saturation magnetization of nanocomposites is decreased with presence of SWCNTs.
• The ferrite/CNTs nanocomposite sample covers whole X-band frequencies (8–12 GHz).
• The ferrite/CNTs nanocomposite can be used as a potential magnetic loss material.
• Nanocomposite contain 4 vol% of CNTs have shown greater than 99% of reflection loss.

In this study, the electromagnetic properties of a novel nanocomposite material made of substituted Sr-hexaferrite nanoparticles and different percentage of single walled carbon nanotube have been studied. The structural, magnetic and electromagnetic properties of samples were studied as a function of volume percentage of SWCNTs by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer and vector network analysis. Well suitable crystallinity of hexaferrite nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD patterns. TEM and FESEM micrographs were shown the good homogenity and high level of dispersivity of SWCNTs and Sr-hexaferrite nanoparticles in nanocomposite samples. The VSM results shown that with increasing in amount of CNTs (0–6 vol%), the saturation of magnetization decreased up to 11 emu/g for nanocomposite sample contains of 6 vol% of SWCNTs. The vector network analysis results show that the maximum value of reflection loss was −36.4 dB at the frequency of 11 GHz with an absorption bandwidth of more than 4 GHz (<−20 dB). The results indicate that, this nanocomposite material with appropriate amount of SWCNTs hold great promise for microwave device applications.