Advanced Institute of Technology: Exploration of Lightweight Coating Absorbing Materials - Strategy for Reducing Density

In the forefront of technological development today, coated absorbing materials play a crucial role in many key areas such as military stealth and electromagnetic protection. However, with the continuous improvement of material performance requirements in application scenarios, reducing the density of coating absorbing materials to achieve lightweighting has become an important direction for advanced scientific and technological research.

1、 Select low-density raw materials

（1） Application of lightweight absorbers

Traditional absorbers, such as carbonyl iron, have certain advantages in absorbing performance, but their high density limits the lightweight development of coating absorbing materials to some extent. The research team of the Advanced Institute has turned their attention to new lightweight absorbers, and carbon based materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and conductive carbon black have become research hotspots. These carbon based materials not only have excellent dielectric properties, but also have low density. By combining them with other absorbers, the density of the composite material can be reduced while utilizing its unique electrical properties to achieve a dual loss mechanism of electricity and magnetism, effectively expanding the absorption frequency band and improving absorption performance. For example, in a study, researchers combined carbon materials with carbonyl iron to prepare carbon based/carbonyl iron composite absorbing materials, which significantly reduced the density of the material while ensuring good absorbing effect, taking an important step towards lightweighting of coated absorbing materials.

（2） Selection of lightweight matrix materials

Base material in coatingAbsorberThe medium occupies a large proportion, and its density has a critical impact on the overall weight of the material. The Advanced Institute is committed to finding lightweight and excellent matrix materials, and some lightweight high molecular polymers have entered the research field, such as polymethylmethacrylimide foam. This type of material not only has low density, but also has certain mechanical properties, which can meet various requirements of coatings in practical use. By uniformly dispersing the absorbing agent in these lightweight matrix materials, coating absorbing materials with low density and reliable performance can be prepared.

2、 Optimize structural design

（1） Design of Microscopic Pore Structure

The introduction of micro pore structure provides a new approach for the lightweight and high-performance of coating absorbing materials. Manufacturing micro pores can make it easier for electromagnetic waves to enter the interior of absorbing materials, achieving effective attenuation of electromagnetic waves through multiple scattering, reflection, and absorption. Meanwhile, this structure reduces the surface density and thickness of the absorbing material to a certain extent. For example, in the research of fabric coating absorbing materials, researchers cleverly changed the propagation path of electromagnetic waves entering the material by utilizing the mesh pore structure of the fabric itself. The incident electromagnetic waves undergo a series of complex scattering, reflection, and absorption processes inside the material, greatly increasing the probability of interaction with the absorbing material, thereby achieving a certain degree of lightweighting while ensuring the absorbing performance.

（2） Construction of Macroscopic Porous Composite Structures

Macroscopic porous composite structures are also an important means of achieving lightweight coating absorbing materials. This structure reduces the actual amount of material used while ensuring absorption performance by constructing macroscopic pores in the material, thereby lowering the overall density. The researchers of the Advanced Institute have successfully constructed various macroscopic porous composite structures of coating absorbing materials through careful design and preparation processes. These materials have shown good absorption performance and lightweight effect in practical applications, providing new ideas for solving the weight problem of coating absorption materials.

（3） Optimization of multi-layer structure

Multi layer absorbing materials usually adopt a structure from the surface to the bottom as a matching layer to a loss layer, which can effectively improve the absorbing performance. The research team of the Advanced Institute has conducted in-depth research and optimized the design of multi-layer structures. Reasonably select the materials and thickness of each layer while meeting the absorption requirements, and try to use low-density materials to construct each layer to reduce the overall density. However, as the number of layers increases, the weight and thickness of the material may increase, so it is necessary to combine other lightweight methods for comprehensive improvement to achieve the best lightweight effect.

3、 Improve the preparation process

（1） The adoption of special molding processes

Advanced Institute actively explores special molding processes to achieve lightweight coating absorbing materials. For example, the injection molding skeleton foam filling method is used to prepare the microwave absorbing materials. This innovative method can ensure the excellent performance in the full frequency band while greatly reducing the weight of the wave absorbing structural materials. This method uses an injection molded integrated skeleton to increaseEnhanced the overall mechanical properties of the absorbing structural components, resulting in superior layer shear strength. Through this special molding process, not only is the material lightweight, but the comprehensive performance of the material is also improved, meeting various needs in practical applications.

（2） Control of Material Density

Accurately controlling the density of materials during the preparation process is one of the key steps in achieving lightweighting. The researchers of the Advanced Institute avoid excessive densification of materials by finely controlling the preparation process parameters such as temperature, pressure, etc. By reasonable process control, the material can achieve optimal density while ensuring its absorption performance, effectively reducing its density and achieving the goal of lightweighting.

existAdvanced Institute of TechnologyWith unremitting efforts, significant progress has been made in reducing density and achieving lightweight coating absorbing materials through exploration and practice in various aspects such as selecting low-density raw materials, optimizing structural design, and improving preparation processes. These research results not only provide stronger support for the widespread application of coating absorbing materials in military, civilian and other fields, but also open up new paths for the lightweight development of materials in the future. With the continuous deepening of research, it is believed that coating absorbing materials will achieve more outstanding achievements on the road of lightweighting, and make greater contributions to technological progress and social development.