Loaded waveguide measurements of plastic explosives at V-band

Abstract

Dielectric measurements of plastic explosives using a loaded waveguide technique via vector network analyzer and banded millimeter wave extender modules operating at V-band (50 to 75 GHz) are performed. A portion of an explosive sample is inserted into a waveguide shim 2 mm in length and trimmed flush with the faces of the shim. Two-port S-parameter measurements are conducted on the explosive; the empty shim is similarly characterized. Using standard waveguide equations and the measured length of the shim, the complex S-parameter data obtained with the filled shim is optimized to four free parameters—complex permittivity and distance offsets for the two sample faces relative to the calibration planes. Permittivity data obtained from measurements of the plastic explosives C-4, Primasheet 1000, Primasheet 2000 and Semtex 10 are presented. Results obtained for C-4 and Primasheet 1000 are comparable to other data in the literature, and the data on Primasheet 2000 and Semtex 10 are the first known published permittivity values in this range. Excellent agreement between the experiment and the fit is obtained using a constant permittivity across the waveguide band, indicating that dispersion is not significant for these materials.