Integrated design and performance of microwave absorbing-mechanical load bearing: metasurface aramid unidirectional cloth composites based on PEDOT: PSS conductive ink

Abstract

The development of structurally and functionally integrated microwave-absorbing (MA) composites represents a pivotal advancement in addressing the limitations of current MA materials for practical engineering applications. While traditional approaches predominantly rely on dielectric and magnetic loss materials, they often necessitate high filler loadings during fabrication. This conventional methodology fails to meet the increasingly stringent performance requirements for MA materials in national defense applications. Herein, a novel strategy of metasurface patterns based on poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (4-styrenesulfonic acid sodium) conductive ink on the aramid unidirectional cloth (A_UDC) was proposed by the optimal design of periodic unit structures through electromagnetic simulation. Then, a successfully developed metasurface microwave-absorbing composite (MSAC) exhibited excellent broadband absorption performance and high mechanical load-bearing capacity. The MA performance of MSAC in the range of 2 to 18 GHz was tested by the bow frame method, and the effective absorption bandwidth was 8.9 GHz (9.1 ~ 18.0 GHz) at a thickness of 3.2 mm. The measurement results were in good agreement with the simulation results. The results of the mechanical properties test indicated there were no significant differences between MSACs prepared with A_UDC as the frequency-selective surface (FSS) patterned substrate and composites without FSS patterns. It has significant advantages over the MSAC prepared by using polyimide film as an FSS patterned substrate, and the interlayer shear strength increased by 159%. It is expected to bring major changes to the air, land, sea, and other defenses.