Microwave absorption properties of Zn-doped barium ferrite (BaFe12-x Zn x O19) decorated reduced graphene oxide

Abstract

Abstract Reduced graphene oxide has attracted great interest for application as microwave absorbing materials during recent years. Barium ferrite (BaFe12O19) is also a hard magnetic material with microwave absorbing properties. In this research, Zn-doped barium ferrite/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were synthesized and their magnetic and microwave absorption properties were studied. Phase analysis, particle morphology, magnetic properties, and microwave absorption properties were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and vector network analysis, respectively. Electron microscopy images showed that reduced graphene oxide nanosheets are decorated with barium ferrite nanoparticles. Zn-doping in the reduced graphene oxide/BaFe12-x Zn x O19 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) nanocomposites caused an increase in the saturation magnetization from 30.76 to 32.69 emu g–1 for Zn = 0.4. Maximum reflection loss was increased from –7.39 dB to –13.50 dB by Zn doping for x = 0.4 in the nanocomposite consisting of 10 wt.% of reduced graphene oxide/BaZn0.4Fe11.6O19. The microwave absorption characteristics are discussed based on the permittivity and permeability values of the nanocomposites.