Dielectric Responses in Multilayer C_f/Si₃N₄ as High-Temperature Microwave-Absorbing Materials

High-temperature microwave-absorbing materials are in great demand in military and aerospace vehicles. The high-temperature dielectric behavior of multilayer Cf/Si3N4 composites fabricated by gelcasting has been intensively investigated at temperature coverage up to 800°C in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz). Experimental results show that the permittivity of Si3N4 matrix exhibits excellent thermo-stability with temperature coefficient lower than 10−3°C−1. Taking temperature-dependent polarized bound charge and damping coefficient into consideration, a revised dielectric relaxation model with Lorentz correction for Si3N4 ceramics has been established and validated by experimental results. Besides, a general model with respect to permittivity as a function of temperature and frequency has been established with the help of nonlinear numerical analysis to reveal mechanisms of temperature-dependent dielectric responses in Cf/Si3N4 composites. Temperature-dependent permittivity has been demonstrated to be well distributed on circular arcs with centers actually kept around the real ( ε ′ ) axis in the Cole-Cole plane. Furthermore, space charge polarization and relaxation are discussed. These findings point to important guidelines to reveal the mechanism of dielectric behavior for carbon fiber functionalized composites including but not limited to Cf/Si3N4 composites at high temperatures, and pave the way for the development of high-temperature radar absorbing materials