Manufacturing radar-absorbing composite materials by using magnetic Co-doped zinc oxide particles synthesized by Sol-Gel

An indicator of being a strong country in today's world is that they have powerful weapons. In this sector where science is used exceedingly, the “stealth” takes an important place. Radar-absorbing materials are used in stealth technology to disguise an object from radar detection, such that it can allow a plane to be perceived as a bird. In this study, Co-doped zinc oxide reinforced styrofoam sheet composites were manufactured as radar-absorbing materials. For this purpose, Co-doped zinc–ZnO particles were synthesized via the Sol-Gel method with doping concentrations of 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%. They were embedded in a styrofoam matrix with different loading levels to see the concentration dependence. The as-prepared powders were characterized by using X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. Magnetic characterization of samples was carried out using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Finally, the radar-absorbing test was applied with a network analyzer to achieve the main purpose of this research. It was concluded that Co-doped zinc oxide reinforced composites have electromagnetic properties that indicate potential applications in the radar-absorbing area.