Research on the Wave Absorption Performance of CB/PLA/TPU Composite Materials Manufactured via 3D Printing

Abstract

To develop efficient wave-absorbing materials, 3D printing technology provides unique advantages in designing the structures and components used in wave-absorbing agents. In this study, we utilized fused deposition modeling to create CB/PLA/TPU composite wave-absorbing materials and explored how different contents of CB affect their wave-absorbing and mechanical properties. At a CB content of 5%, the materials showed a minimum reflection loss of -14.35 dB (4.00 mm), an effective bandwidth of 3.68 GHz (2.50 mm), a flexural strength of 6.63 MPa, a compressive strength of 27.63 MPa, a tensile strength of 16.60 MPa, and an elongation at break of 6.0%. When the CB content was increased to 7%, the minimum reflection loss improved to -18.39 dB (4.00 mm) and the effective bandwidth rose to 4.64 GHz (2.50 mm), while still retaining decent mechanical properties. The analysis of wave absorption mechanisms suggests that the remarkable wave-absorbing capabilities are primarily attributed to multiple scattering, dielectric loss (conduction loss and relaxation polarization), as well as favorable impedance matching characteristics. This research offers a method to produce wave-absorbing materials via 3D printing technology.

Keywords: CB/PLA/TPU, FDM, mechanical properties, wave-absorbing performance, wave absorption mechanism