GR-Fe3O4/PLA 3D printing composite materials with excellent microwave absorption properties

In this work, composite microspheres were formed by integrating graphene (GR) and Fe3O4 into an ethylcellulose matrix via an emulsion emulsification reaction. Composite wires were fabricated using a melt extrusion process and composite samples were subsequently prepared via a melt molding method. A systematic study was conducted to investigate the absorption performance of GR-Fe3O4/PLA (Polylactic acid) composite materials. The findings revealed that the optimal microwave absorption performance was achieved when the graphene content was 5.6 wt.% and the Fe3O4 content was 11.1 wt.%. The maximum reflection loss was −51.13 dB at a thickness of 2.65 mm. The maximum absorption bandwidth was 4.16 GHz, and the effective radar interception cross-section was reduced to −42.7 dBm2. The excellent performance of GR-Fe3O4/PLA composite material can be attributed to good impedance matching and the synergistic effect of conductive loss, dipole polarization, interface polarization, and eddy current loss. Then the contribution of conductive loss and polarization loss to the absorption performance was explored. This work provides a novel approach to advance the design and development of functional materials for efficient electromagnetic absorption, providing valuable insights into the development of efficient, lightweight microwave absorbing material.