Electromagnetic wave absorption of silicon carbide based materials

Increasing research effort has been made aiming at developing electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing materials with high absorption performance. An ideal EM absorber should be relatively light-weight, thermally stable, capable of absorbing wide EM frequency, and cost effective. As a dielectric material, silicon carbide (SiC) has great potential with relatively low density, good thermal and chemical resistance, and it can function at high temperatures or under harsh working environments. This review summarizes the research progress in the design and characterization of SiC and SiC based composites as EM absorption materials. Pristine SiC with various morphological, phase, and structural features can be tailored to achieve better absorption performance. Moreover, SiC based materials can either be modified using dielectric or magnetic materials, or be designed with variation in geometry, composition, and mass fraction of the filler composition for further improvement in EM absorption. This review intends to inspire new concepts and approaches for designing excellent EM absorbing materials.