Lightweight Ce-doped ZnO/Ti₃C₂T_x/epoxy composite materials exhibit enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties

To address the demand for electromagnetic pollution control and meet the need for lightweight electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials, this study designed a lightweight composite material based on epoxy resin (EP) and Ce-doped ZnO/Ti₃C₂T_x (CZT) absorbers. By optimizing the content of absorbers and the composite process of the matrix, the structural characteristics, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and EMW absorption mechanism of the material were systematically investigated. The absorptive performance shows that the 5.0 wt% sample achieves a reflection loss (RL) of -43.08 dB at a thickness of 2.7 mm, with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 2.53 GHz (1.2 mm). CST simulations confirmed that the CZT-EP-5 coating provides a radar cross-section (RCS) attenuation value of 23.4 dB m² for the substrate, further validating the material's practical application potential as a radar-absorbing coating. The enhanced absorption is mainly attributed to improved impedance matching, dominant dielectric loss, interfacial polarization, conductive loss, and weak magnetic-loss contribution introduced by the CZT filler. This study provides new insights for developing high-performance polymer-based radar-absorbing materials that combine functionality with structural adaptability.