Development of RGO/BaFe12O19-based composite medium for improved microwave absorption applications

Microwave absorbing composite containing barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has been synthesized for X-band (8–12 GHz). Barium hexaferrite particles are synthesized by auto-combustion reaction using citrate precursors. The synthesis process of RGO is carried out by using improved hummer’s method. Different composites consisting of barium hexaferrite and RGO are fabricated by mixing of RGO and barium hexaferrite in different weight percentages followed by heat treatment. The developed composites are characterized for electric permittivity, magnetic permeability and reflection loss measurements. Three composites, namely RGO2, RGO4 and RGO6, are developed by varying weight percentage of RGO in barium hexaferrite. The saturation magnetization of barium hexaferrite is observed to decrease from 47.02 to 16.253 emu/g, with the increase in RGO content in the composite. The composite containing 6% RGO (RGO6) shows maximum value of complex permittivity. When RGO6 composite is casted into a pellet of thickness 2.1 mm, the maximum reflection loss of − 52.21 dB is achieved at frequency 10.72 GHz. Also, the − 10 dB bandwidth of RGO6 composite reached to 2.92 GHz, i.e., covering about 70% of X-band.