Magnetic properties and microwave absorption properties of carbon fibers coated by Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were plated on carbon fibers from nitrate and dimethylamine borane solution at 90 degrees C for 1 h. The structures and morphologies of the composite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The thickness of the Fe3O4 films is about 1 mu m. The saturation magnetization of the Fe3O4/CFs composites reaches 39.5 emu/g and coercivity reaches 166.9 Oe. The reflectivity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles covered carbon fiber (2.90-5.12 mm in thickness) is less than -10 dB over the range of 3.52-10.01 GHz and -20 dB over the range of 5.49-7.75 GHz. The lowest reflectivity of the Fe3O4/CFs composites is -35 dB at 6.37 GHz for a layer of 4.41 mm in thickness. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.