Evaluation of a Nanostructured Microwave Absorbent Coating Applied to a Glass Fiber/Polyphenylene Sulfide Laminated Composite

Abstract

The rapid coating of composites with absorbing paints yields materials that can absorb microwave radiation and still have approximately the same specific mass of the original composites. The use of paints with specific electromagnetic properties together with carbon-nanotube-based materials allows the production of structural materials of interest to the aeronautical industry. Thus, the objective of this study was to produce and characterize the electromagnetic properties of a material consisting of a microwave absorbing coating (carbon nanotubes and polyurethane) applied to a laminated composite made with polyphenylene sulfide and glass fiber. The attenuation of microwaves (8 to 12 GHz) incident on this material was evaluated using the waveguide technique to determine whether this material can be used as an absorbing structural material. The results show that the material absorbs up to 90% of the energy of the incident microwave, indicating that the material is an efficient absorber of microwave radiation.