Composition Optimization of Iron-Nickel-Nanographite Particles for Tuning the Electromagnetic Parameters of Silicone Rubber Composites

• Published in: Arabian journal for science and engineering (2011) Vol. 48; no. 7; pp. 8849 - 8860
• Main Authors: Prakash, Anjali, Srivastava, Avanish K., Sivasubramanian, R., Pandey, Mritunjay Kumar, Nagarajan, Ramamoorthy, Bhattacharyya, Amitava
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-07-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Dynamic mechanical properties; Electrical impedance; Electromagnetic properties; Elongation; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Iron; Loss modulus; Mechanical properties; Microwave absorbers; Microwave absorption; multidisciplinary; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Nickel; Optimization; Research Article-Chemical Engineering; Room temperature; Rubber; Science; Silicone rubber; Silicones; Storage modulus; Tensile strength; Thermomechanical properties; Wet milling; Iron; Nickel; Nanographite; Polymer nanocomposites, Microwave absorbency; Flexible composites
• ISSN: 2193-567X; 1319-8025; 2191-4281
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-022-07483-0

The current study investigates iron (Fe)-nickel (Ni)-nanographite (NG) / silicone rubber composites for improved microwave absorption in 8–18 GHz range. Fe–Ni particles were produced in three different ratios (50:50, 60:40, and 75:25) using high-energy planetary ball mill. NG was also prepared from graphite using wet milling. The Fe–Ni combinations were then ball milled with NG at 75:25 ratio (Fe–Ni: NG) and coded as (Fe
0.75
Ni
0.25
)
0.75
NG
0.25
, (Fe
0.6
Ni
0.4
)
0.75
NG
0.25
, and (Fe
0.5
Ni
0.5
)
0.75
NG
0.25
. These hybrid nanoparticles were investigated for their structural and morphological properties. The thermomechanical, environmental and electromagnetic properties of silicone rubber composites with these nanoparticles (20% w/w) were studied. Around 60% improvement in tensile strength with 40% more elongation is achieved compared to the pure silicone rubber samples. (Fe
0.5
Ni
0.5
)
0.75
NG
0.25
based sample shows good dynamic mechanical properties with almost 4 times increase in storage modulus and twice increase in loss modulus from − 20 °C to room temperature. The conducting nature of hybrid nanoparticles helps to reduce the electrical impedance up to two orders (from 10
4
to 10
2
 Ω). The composites with (Fe
0.75
Ni
0.25
)
0.75
NG
0.25
have excellent mechanical characteristics and good dielectric and magnetic loss while the electromagnetic characteristics of (Fe
0.6
Ni
0.4
)
0.75
NG
0.25
based composites have shown greater broad-spectrum absorption in 8–18 GHz range. Real and imaginary permittivity values are up to 50 and 8, respectively while real and imaginary permeability values are around 1 and 0.5, respectively. The results indicate that these flexible polymer nanocomposite sheets are a viable contender as microwave absorbers in a variety of stealth applications over wide range environmental conditions.