Microstructure and EMW absorption properties of PDCs-SiCN(Ti) ceramics with adjustable SiC nanowires and TiC nanocrystallines

Herein, a novel type of ceramic material exhibiting tunable electromagnetic properties was synthesized using the polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) method. The precursor employed in this process was a tetrabutyl titanate-modified polysilazane, which ultimately led to the formation of PDCs-SiCN(Ti) ceramics. High-temperature annealing (1400 °C-1500 °C) was used to prepare PDCs-SiCN(Ti) ceramics, which exhibited a unique dual nanostructure comprising SiC nanowires and TiC nanocrystals and served as effective nanoabsorbents. The SiC and TiC contents are closely related to the annealing temperature and induced Ti content. After annealing at 1500 °C, the PDCs-SiCN(Ti) ceramics with the typical A + B + C electromagnetic absorbing structure exhibited excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties. The PDCs-SiCN(Ti) ceramics, with a Ti content of 5 wt%, demonstrated an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.8 GHz, which encompassed 90.5 % of the X band, despite having a relatively thin impedance matching thickness of only 2.1 mm. The outstanding EMW attenuation capability of the PDC-SiCN(Ti) ceramics can be ascribed to their large specific surface area and defects combined with the high permittivity of dispersed TiC nanocrystals, which facilitates multiple reflections of EMW within the SiCN matrix. Therefore, this work provides a controllable preparation method for PDCs-SiCN(Ti) ceramics with various microwave absorbing phases.