Microwave Electromagnetic Characteristics of a Microcoiled Carbon Fibers/paraffin Wax Composite in Ku Band

Abstract

The complex relative permittivity ∈_γ and permeability μ_γ of microcoiled carbon fibers (MCCFs) imbedded in paraffin wax were measured at Ku band frequencies (12.4–18 GHz). Both the real and imaginary parts of the complex relative permittivity of the MCCFs/paraffin wax composite decreased with increase of the frequency. The real part of the complex relative permeability of the composite increases with increase of the frequency, and the imaginary part is nonzero and nearly constant over the measured frequency range. The dielectric loss tangent (tan δ_∈), the magnetic loss tangent (tan δ_m), and amplitude attenuation factor (α) were determined as well. On the basis of the experimental results, the MCCFs/paraffin wax composite is mainly a kind of dielectric lossy material with small magnetic loss and diamagnetism in the Ku band.