Enhanced microwave absorption in flexible MXene/polyurethane composites

The escalating challenges of electromagnetic pollution and interference have created an urgent demand for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption materials. This study presents the successful fabrication of flexible Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene/millable polyurethane (MPU) composites through a straightforward blending and hot-pressing process. The microwave absorption properties was effectively tailored by controlling the content and morphology of the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene filler. Results demonstrate that increasing the content of etched Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene from 0 to 35 wt% progressively enhanced the absorption properties. The composite with 35 wt% loading achieved an optimal reflection loss (RL min ) of −39.24 dB at 10.86 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 1.40 GHz. A remarkable improvement was observed when exfoliated and centrifuged Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene was utilized as the filler. The composite containing 35 wt% exfoliated and centrifuged Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene exhibited a superior RL min of −60.24 dB at 15.76 GHz and a broader EAB of 2.21 GHz at a matching thickness of 4.5 mm. This work underscores the significant potential of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene/MPU composites as high-performance, flexible microwave absorbers and identifies the exfoliation and centrifugation process as a critical factor for maximizing absorption capability.