Effective improvement on microwave absorbing performance of epoxy resin-based composites with 3D MXene foam prepared by one-step impregnation method

A MX/CF/Epoxy composite with a 3D network structure was prepared through a one-step impregnation method. Compared with the simple doping of MXene into the polymer matrix, the 3D structure greatly reduces the amount of absorbing filler while improving the microwave absorbing performance of epoxy resin, which realizes the economical and efficient use of absorbing agents. The MX/CF/Epoxy composite has a RL_min of −41.46 dB when the content of MXene is only 0.337 wt% and CF is 1.183 wt% with a thickness of 1.83 mm. At the same time, the EVB of the composite can reach 4.67 GHz (10.58–15.25 GHz). The effective improvement on microwave absorbing performance of MX/CF/Epoxy composites is mainly due to the unique 3D foam structure, the interface polarization and dipole relaxation caused by surface functional groups and defects of MX/CF. This work provides new ideas for improving the application potential of epoxy resin-based composites in the field of microwave absorption.