Lightweight SiCN ceramics doped with rare earth elements for electromagnetic wave absorption and infrared stealth

Abstract

This study demonstrates the electromagnetic simulation-guided additive manufacturing of SiCN ceramics with a gyroid architecture for enhanced microwave absorption. Rare earth (Ce, Pr) doping enables the precipitation of polarization-active SiC/C phases after low-temperature pyrolysis (900°C), synergistically optimizing impedance matching and electromagnetic energy dissipation. The optimized ceramics exhibit exceptional performance: GS-Ce900 achieves full X-band coverage at 3.86–4.07 mm thickness, while GS-Pr900 delivers a minimum reflection loss of −30.99 dB at 2.73 mm. Furthermore, under 60 s of electromagnetic irradiation, GS-Pr900 demonstrates an 84.3°C temperature decrease via thermoelectric conversion, showcasing strong infrared stealth potential.