Microwave absorption properties of FeCo-coated carbon fibers with varying morphologies

Hybridizing carbon materials with magnetic metals and oxides has attracted much attention for enhanced microwave absorption. In this study, a magnetic Fe-Co alloy was coated on the surface of carbon fibers (FeCo@CFs) by electrodeposition. For the first time, different Fe-Co coating morphologies (thin plate, irregular particle, and pyramid) were obtained by adjusting the plating temperature. The morphology, structure, magnetic properties, and complex permittivity and permeability of the FeCo@CFs were determined as a function of plating temperature. Results show that the FeCo@CFs with different coating morphologies exhibit different magnetic properties and complex permittivity. The FeCo@CFs with plate-like morphology demonstrat e the best absorption performance. It has been shown that the absorption of FeCo@CFs can be controlled by adjusting the morphology of Fe-Co coating, which provides a new and effective way to endow Fe-Co-coated carbon fibers with good microwave absorption properties.