International Journal of Innovative Biochemistry & Microbiology Research 14(3):25-45, July-Sept., 2026

© SEAHI PUBLICATIONS, 2026 www.seahipublications.org ISSN: 2467-8554

DOI:10.5281/zenodo.22077284

Preparation and Analysis of Spinel Ferrite-Based Composites for Microwave Absorption

¹A. Magaji & M. D. ²Nurhafizah

¹Department of Science Laboratory Technology

School of Science and Technology

Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic Kazaure, Jigawa State, Nigeria.

²School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden Penang, Malaysia

Corresponding author e-mail address: abdulkadirm82@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

As there is an increase in demand for high performance materials that absorb electromagnetic waves efficiently, there has been an emergence of composite materials made from spinel ferrites. In this research work, studies on the synthesis, characterizations, and microwave absorption properties of NiFe₂O₄ composites with and without the use of Bi_2/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂ and graphene are carried out. The NiFe₂O₄ composites were synthesized through the sol-gel auto-combustion process and studied via various methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). It was established that the use of Bi_2/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂ and graphene increases the microwave absorption abilities of the NiFe₂O₄ composites. The ternary NiFe₂O₄@Bi_2/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂@graphene composite exhibited the strongest microwave attenuation, with a minimum reflection loss of approximately -25 dB near 22 GHz at a matching thickness of 2mm. The reflection loss remained below -10 dB across the plotted 18-26 GHz range, corresponding to an effective absorption bandwidth of approximately 8 GHz. These findings indicate that combining magnetic NiFe₂O₄, dielectric Bi_2/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂ and conductive graphene provides a useful route for improving microwave absorption in the K-band region.

Keywords: Composite Materials, Electromagnetic Wave Absorption, FTIR Spectroscopy, Graphene, Microwave Absorption, Spinel Ferrites,