Formation of laminated nano-coatings for enhanced anti-oxidation and electromagnetic wave absorbing properties of carbon fiber

In the paper, a simple and reliable method was proposed. A novel metal/ceramic laminated nano-coating (Ni-P/SiC) was prepared on the surface of carbon fiber (CF) by plasma electrolytic spraying and electroless plating. The morphologies, composition, antioxidation, and electromagnetic wave absorbability of the laminated nano-coatings have been studied. The thickness of the coating was 392.8nm measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The coated carbon fiber not only has good resistance to high temperature oxidation, but also has high electromagnetic absorption in the range of 2∼18 GHz. The minimum reflection loss (RL) of the laminated Ni-P/SiC coated CF decreased from −3.9 to −26.95 dB, indicating that 99% of the electromagnetic waves were absorbed. The weight loss rate was reduced and the complete weight loss temperature was increased from 950 to 1050°C. The electromagnetic wave absorption mechanism was discussed in detail.