Fabrication of Graphene-Skinned SiC Fiber Materials Toward Dielectric-Gradient Ceramic Matrix Composites for Efficient Electromagnetic Absorption
摘要
Overcoming the trilemma of strength, absorption, and cost in stealth composites, we report the dielectric-gradient silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites with graphene-skinned SiC fibers (Gr-SiCf) enabling tunable electromagnetic architecture. By conformally depositing continuous graphene skins onto SiCf via atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition, we achieve precise control over conductivity through growth kinetics at minimal cost, while maintaining the high mechanical strength of the resulting Gr-SiCf. Strategic integration of these Gr-SiCf as high-, medium-, and low-volume-resistivity reinforcements creates spatially tailored dielectric gradients, optimized through finite-element modeling. The resulting dielectric-gradient structures exhibit exceptional impedance matching, alongside synergistic polarization loss, conductive loss, and multiple reflections. At a total thickness of 3.5 mm, the composite achieves an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, reflection loss ≤ −10 dB) of 4.30 GHz and a broad bandwidth (RL ≤ −5 dB) of 13.41 GHz across the 4–18 GHz range. This material paradigm establishes a scalable route to manufacturing complex-shaped structural absorbers, addressing a critical bottleneck for next-generation stealth platforms.
Graphical Abstract