Fabrication and electromagnetic characteristics of microwave absorbers containing carbon nanofibers and NiFe particles

The objective of this study is to develop microwave absorbers by using both dielectric and magnetic lossy materials. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were used as dielectric lossy materials and NiFe particles were used as magnetic lossy materials. Twelve kinds of composite specimens were fabricated and classified into dielectric, magnetic, and mixed types. Their complex permittivities and permeabilities in the range of 2–18 GHz were measured. Parametric studies to aid in the design of single-layered radar absorbing materials (RAMs) were performed. The mixed RAMs generally showed improved absorbing characteristics with thinner matching thicknesses. The present mixed RAM showed the 10 dB absorbing bandwidth of 4.0 GHz in the X-band (2.00 mm thickness) and 6.0 GHz in the Ku-band (1.49 mm thickness). The measured absorbing properties of selected specimens were in very good agreements with simulations.