Pushing the limits of microwave absorption capability of carbon fiber in fabric design based on genetic algorithm

The field of electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) requires the adaptability, tenability, and multifunction of high-performance materials in the future. The design and preparation of EWA materials aiming at performance requirements is the latest research hotspot. Here, a performance-driven strategy for simultaneously coordinating different target performances was proposed to optimize the structure of the periodical long continuous carbon/glass fiber fabric (PCGF) materials through algorithm and simulation. The optimized structure of the PCGF not only improves the impedance matching, but also introduces the induced orientation effect for a high cooperative loss of conductivity, resonance, and periodic structure. The flexible PCGF shows a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 32.7 GHz covering a part of the C-band and the whole X-, Ku-, K-, and Ka-bands with a thickness (d) of only 0.92 mm and a density of 5.6×10−4 kg·cm−3. This highly designable fabric is promising for the EWA practical application owing to integrating the characteristics of good flexibility, acid and alkali resistance, bending resistance, excellent mechanical properties, and easy large-scale preparation.