<i>In-Situ</i> Prepared ZnO@FCIP Composites for Electromagnetic Absorption

This study prepared ZnO@FCIP composite electromagnetic absorbing materials via an in-situ loading combined with thermal conversion strategy, systematically investigating their microstructure, electromagnetic parameters, absorption performance and RCS characteristics by regulating ZnO loading (10–40 wt.%). XRD, SEM and EDS characterizations showed ZnO nanoparticles were uniformly loaded on FCIP surface, forming stable heterogeneous interfaces while maintaining FCIP crystalline stability. Electromagnetic tests indicated appropriate ZnO enhanced interfacial polarization loss and modulated conductive networks, optimizing dielectric-magnetic loss synergy. The 20 wt.% ZnO composite exhibited optimal performance: at 10 mm thickness, it achieved a minimum reflection loss of −37.8 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (RL ≤ −10 dB) of 4.2 GHz. RCS tests showed good wide-frequency scattering suppression. The excellent performance originated from synergistic impedance matching, multiple scattering, interfacial polarization and conductive loss, providing a new design approach for high-performance absorbing/stealth materials.