Electrophysical properties of polymeric nanocomposites based on tin dioxide modified with nickel ferrite

The creation of new nanomaterials for absorbtion of electromagnetic radiation microwave range is an important direction in consequence of electromagnetic pollution of the environment. The aim of the paper was to develop and synthesize the polymer-filled systems based on the polychlorotrifluoroethylene and tin dioxide modified by nickel ferrite in order to study their electrophysical properties as potential materials absorbing electromagnetic radiation. NiFe2O4/SnO2 nanocomposites with a volume content of nickel ferrite on the surface of tin dioxide from 0.62 to 0.8 were synthesized by co-precipitation. Size of SnO2 and NiFe2O4 nanoparticles was determined by a transmission electron microscope and its about 30–50 nm and 15–30 nm, respectively. For the NiFe2O4/SnO2 nanocomposites the values of complex permittivity and complex permeability in the microwave range, values of conductivity at low frequencies were investigated. Maximum values of complex permittivity and complex permeability were found for NiFe2O4/SnO2 nanocomposites at the volume content of nickel ferrite 0.62. An increase was observed in the complex permittivity for the NiFe2O4/SnO2–polychlorotrifluoroethylene system, 2–3 times greater than the values related to the NiFe2O4/SnO2 nanocomposites. The electrical conductivity at low frequencies (100 Hz) of polymer composites increases by an order of magnitude with a decrease of the concentration of nickel ferrite on the surface of tin dioxide. It was found that the calculated absorption coefficient of an electromagnetic wave in the frequency range 1–41 GHz for NiFe2O4/SnO2 nanocomposites is about 2 times greater than that for nickel ferrite. It is shown that the creation of nanocomposites based on a conductive component modified by a magnetic component is more efficient for the processes of absorption of electromagnetic waves in the microwave range at optimal ratios of the values of the permittivity and permeability than pure ferrite.