Abstract
In this work, ZrB2@SiO2 composite and Poly-ortho Toluidine (PoTo) was synthesized and the microwave absorption capability was investigated between 2 and 18 GHz frequencies. The XRD, FTIR and elemental mapping analysis confirm the presence and purity of the ZrB2, SiO2, ZrB2@SiO2 Composite and PoTo sample. An agglomerated morphology was observed especially in the PoTo sample. The high resolution XP spectra of SiO2 and ZrB2 shows their characteristic peaks which further support the finding of the XRD and FTIR analysis. The arrangement with PoTo as top layer having 0.5 mm thickness and ZrSi as bottom layer having 1.5 mm thickness gives a RL of −29.8 at 5.2 GHz with bandwidth of effective absorption reaching about 4.4 GHz. A superior impedance matching between the ZrB2@SiO2 composite and PoTo sample may be the cause of the excellent microwave absorption capability. The value of the RL indicate that the prepared sample could be used as efficient next generation microwave absorber material.
•Synergistic effects of ZrB2@SiO2 composite.•Microwave absorption performance of bilayer absorber material.•Impedance matching of ZrB2@SiO2 composite and PoTo sample.•Tuning the microwave absorption by thickness and layer variation.