Electromagnetic Wave-Absorption Properties of FDM-Printed Acrylonitrile-Styrene-Acrylate/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Structures

Abstract

The growing need for lightweight, customizable electromagnetic wave absorbers with weather resistance in aerospace and electromagnetic compatibility applications motivates this study, which addresses the limitations of conventional materials in simultaneously achieving structural efficiency, broadband absorption, and environmental durability. We propose a fused deposition modeling (FDM)-based approach for fabricating lightweight wave-absorbing structures using acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites. Results demonstrate that CST Studio Suite simulations reveal a minimum reflection loss of -18.16 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (RL < -10 dB) of 3.75 GHz for the 2 mm-thick composite plate when the MWCNT content is 2%. Through FDM fabrication and structural optimization, significant performance enhancements are achieved: The gradient honeycomb design with larger dimensions achieved an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.56 GHz and a minimum reflection loss of -32.60 dB. Meanwhile, the stacked stake structure exhibited a broader effective absorption bandwidth of 10.58 GHz, with its lowest reflection loss reaching -22.82 dB. This research provides innovative approaches for developing and manufacturing tailored lightweight electromagnetic wave-absorbing structures, which could be valuable for aerospace stealth technology and electromagnetic compatibility solutions.

Keywords: 3D printing; ASA; MWCNTs; absorbing structure; fused deposition modeling.

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of concentric annular specimens.

Figure 2

Schematic of the FDM process for manufacturing structures with tailored electromagnetic wave-absorption properties.

Figure 3

The ε′ (a), ε″ (b), and tan δe (c) of ASA/MWCNT composites.

Figure 4

Theoretically calculated 3D and 2D RL spectra of ASA/MWCNT composites with different MWCNT content and thicknesses (1–5 mm). (a,c) Sample A-2. (b,d) Sample A-4. (e,g) Sample A-6. (f,h) Sample A-8.

Figure 5

Effect of MWCNT content on MFR.

Figure 6

SEM images of (a) pristine MWCNTs and (b) A-2.

Figure 7

(a,d,g) 3D-printed sample of honeycomb structure, gradient-based honeycomb structure, and larger-sized gradient honeycomb structure. (b,e,h) Schematic diagram of unit structure. (c,f,i) Its RL at 2–18 GHz.

Figure 8

(a) 3D-printed sample of stacked wooden pile structure. (b) Schematic diagram of unit structure. (c) RL at 2–18 GHz.

Figure 9

Schematic diagram of multi-layer absorbing wave structure.