X‐band Scattering Characteristics of Nickel/Nanocarbon Composites for Anti‐tracking Application

Abstract Creating clutter in high resolution seeking trackers is of tactical importance which could be achieved by the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Herein, we report on X‐band (8–12 GHz) scattering performance of nickel/nano‐carbon‐composites for architecting an effective EMI shield. Composite material is prepared by facile, one step, solid state combustion technique with variable 1–5 Ni % and characterized using x‐ray diffractometry, infrared‐,uv‐visible, energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopic techniques, and scanning electron microscopy. Further, composite, transformed into coaxial and rectangular shaped specimens, are subjected to s‐parameter and reflection loss studies, respectively, over 8–12 GHz. In analysis, incorporation of Ni, majorly, forms crystalline NiO (d[111]) and Ni₂O₃ (d[002]) phases dispersed within the nanocarbon network which are responsible to create asymmetric stretching bond between Ni−O−C ( ∼1130 cm⁻¹). Dispersion facilitates synergistic magneto‐dielectric coupling to provide long range ordering of polarization, mainly, via electronic transitions between Ni−3d to O−2p states to engage incident microwave power effectively. At highest Ni inclusion, composite showed>95 % shielding effectiveness with infinite bandwidth and>99 % return loss@8.97 GHz matching frequency.