Functional additive manufacturing of large-size metastructure with efficient electromagnetic absorption and mechanical adaptation

Broadband microwave absorption as a hot research topic plays important roles on electromagnetic compatibility, electromagnetic radiation protection and radar detection disguise. However, traditional molding method is difficult to fabricate large-size curving structures for broadband microwave absorption. Herein, the material extrusion with high-speed printing process was effective to manufacture large-size metastructures for broadband microwave absorption. The polylactic acid was mixed and extruded with nano pyrolytic carbon in high temperature to manufacture functional filaments with high dielectric loss. The printed metastructure integrated with 0.5 mm quartz fiber reinforced composite (QFRC) achieved −10 dB broadband microwave absorption in 3.03–18 GHz and effective load bearing performance in tensile and flexural tests. Severe impedance mismatch brought by QFRC was overcome by appropriate structure design and high-speed printing technique. The proposed design-manufacturing closed loop is a promising approach to fabricate aircraft skin with broadband microwave absorption performance and suitable aerodynamic properties for heavy unmanned aerial drones.