Preparation of Ag-coated hollow microspheres via electroless plating for application in lightweight microwave absorbers

Abstract Highly conductive Ag film is coated on hollow silica microspheres via electroless plating for application in lightweight microwave absorbers. The Ag plating is conducted using a two-step process of sensitizing and subsequent plating. The complex permeability and permittivity are determined using the reflection/transmission technique in the composite specimens of Ag-coated microspheres and silicone rubber matrix. Due to the large surface area of the microspheres, a relatively high concentration of AgNO 3 is required in order to achieve a uniform Ag coating. In addition, a low concentration of fructose reducing agent is recommended for slow plating. The apparent electrical resistance of the Ag-coated microspheres is strongly dependent on the grain morphology. The thin and uniform Ag-coated particles are characterized by their low electrical resistance, which is as low as 0.1 Ω. The lower the electrical resistance of the microspheres, the higher the dielectric constant of the composite specimens, which results from the enhanced space-charge polarization between the conductive microspheres. The microwave absorbance is enhanced with decreases in the electrical resistance of microspheres due to the increased dielectric loss.