Fabrication and electromagnetic characteristics of microwave absorbers containing Li0.35Zn0.3Fe2.35O4 micro-belts and nickel-coated carbon fibers

•The Li0.35Zn0.3Fe2.35O4 micro-belts were prepared by cotton template for the first time.•The microwave absorption properties of composites were investigated.•The formation mechanism of the ferrite micro-belt was studied.•The microwave absorption properties of the composites were investigated.

Li0.35Zn0.3Fe2.35O4 micro-belts were prepared by cotton template. The nickel-coated carbon fibers were obtained by electroless plating method. The formation mechanism of the ferrite micro-belt was studied. The electromagnetic properties of the microwave absorbers were investigated in the frequency range of 30–6000 MHz. The double-layer absorbers have better microwave absorption properties than the nickel-coated carbon fibers single-layer absorbers and the microwave absorption properties of the composites are influenced by the thickness of the absorber.