Rational design of SiBCN ceramics with excellent attenuation to strong electromagnetic-wave-absorbing properties at low frequency

To achieve strong electromagnetic wave absorbing properties, it is important to have good impedance matching, moderate electrical conductivity, and high polarization loss, particularly at low frequency. However, meeting these requirements for polymer-derived ceramics remains challenging. This paper proposes a simple approach to addressing this challenge by adjusting the crystallinity and defects of SiBCN ceramics. The addition of Sm as a catalyst and tailored heating temperatures were used to create SiBCN ceramics with adjustable crystallinities and defective nanograins. The controlled crystallinity provided good impedance matching, while the tailored defective nanograins offered high polarization loss. The combination of these factors results in high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption, with the SiBCN ceramics achieving a minimum reflection loss of -59.13 dB at 3.6 GHz and an effective attenuation bandwidth of 6.87 GHz with a thickness of 2.22 mm. This study provides an effective strategy for the design and fabrication of strong EMW absorbing materials.