X Band electromagnetic property influence of multi-walled carbon nanotube in hybrid MnZn ferrite and carbonyl iron composites

A hybrid composite based on 30 wt.% and 50 wt.% of MnZn ferrite and Carbonyl Iron (CI) with 1 wt.% of carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed on silicone rubber was produced to investigate the electromagnetic absorption performance on X Band frequency range (8.2–12.4 GHz). The MnZn ferrite, CI and CNT powder were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to analyze the pallet morphology. The influence of the CNT on magnetic composites was studied by comparison with MnZn ferrite and CI composites on the electrical and magnetic properties using a rectangular waveguide based on the Nicholson-Ross-Weiner model. On the MnZn ferrite structure, the CNT increased the magnetic storage capability and reduced its property in CI composite. The Reflection Loss demonstrates the increases in absorption due to the CNT link between magnetic pallets. MnZn ferrite with CNT showed a minimum RL value of −21 dB with 2.3 mm of thickness. The hybrid composite demonstrated a better electromagnetic performance than the composite with the same weight% of the magnetic pallet, which is very interesting to the aerospace and aeronautic applications that require a high electromagnetic absorption and lightweight.