Improving microwave absorbing properties of epoxy resin with silane surface-modified copper oxide nanoparticles integration

The pursuit of nanomaterials with desirable properties including excellent reflection loss (RL), reduced thickness, wide bandwidth, facile fabrication process and low density has garnered significant attention. In this study, we explore the potential of new nanocomposite samples through the incorporation of copper oxide nanoparticles into epoxy resin matrices. The investigation further delves into the thermal, morphological and electrical characteristics of these samples. This study evaluates the electromagnetic properties of the composites, including permittivity (ε), permeability (μ), RL and shielding effectiveness. The microwave characterization and shielding effectiveness assessments were conducted across the X-band frequency range (8–12 GHz). The findings are promising where the epoxy/10% CuO composite exhibits strong absorption with a spectrum below −10 dB in the 8.5–9 GHz and 9.75–11.25 GHz ranges. Notably, the 20% CuO composite consistently achieves a spectrum below −10 dB across all frequencies, indicating a remarkable 90% absorption capability at varying thicknesses.