Fabrication and Electromagnetic Wave-Absorbing Property of Si3N4 Ceramics with Gradient Pyrolytic Carbon Distribution

A Si3N4 ceramic with gradient distribution of pyrolytic carbon (Gradient-PyC-Si3N4) was fabricated by a combined technique of precursor infiltration pyrolysis and directional oxidation. An electromagnetic wave could enter Gradient-PyC-Si3N4 with little reflection because of a weak impedance mismatch at its surface, and the electromagnetic wave entering Gradient-PyC-Si3N4 could propagate forward along the PyC changing belt and simultaneously be absorbed by PyC with little reflection. The electromagnetic reflectivity of the Gradient-PyC-Si3N4 with an absence of PyC could reach a low level of -12.1 dB, which means that about 94% of the incident energy is absorbed and so makes the Gradient-PyC-Si3N4 a promising electromagnetic absorbing material for covert action.