Gradient multilayered RTV silicone rubber composites with carbonyl iron, conductive carbon, and ZnS for broadband microwave absorption and infrared stealth.
- 1Army Engineering University Nanjing Jiangsu 210007 China [email protected].
- 2National University of Defense Technology Changsha Hunan 410073 China [email protected].
Abstract
The integration of broadband microwave absorption, infrared modulation, and mechanical flexibility within a single material remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a gradient multilayered composite is constructed by sequentially casting condensation-type room-temperature-vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV) layers containing carbonyl iron powder (CIP), conductive carbon black (CB), and zinc sulfide (ZnS) at progressively increasing filler loadings. This architecture spatially decouples impedance matching, electromagnetic attenuation, conductive reflection, and infrared modulation. The gradient composite achieves an absorption coefficient exceeding 0.9 across 8-18 GHz, corresponding to a 10 GHz effective absorption bandwidth. This broadband performance originates from a gradient impedance matching mechanism, whereby the top low-permittivity layer admits microwaves with minimal reflection and the underlying CIP layers progressively attenuate the transmitted energy through magnetic and dielectric losses, while the conductive CB bottom layer redirects residual waves back into the lossy region for a second attenuation pass. The mechanism is verified by transmission matrix method calculations and full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The ZnS-containing layer imparts tunable infrared emissivity, decreasing from 0.781 to 0.695 (3-5 µm) as the ZnS content increases from 10 to 30 wt%, with a steady-state radiation temperature reduction of 22.6 °C relative to Neat RTV. Mechanically, the gradient composite retains an elongation at break of 73.8%, approximately 2.6 times that of the individual brittle functional layers, owing to the protective effect of the ductile outer layers. This gradient multilayered design overcomes the inherent trade-offs among microwave absorption, infrared modulation, and mechanical flexibility, offering a versatile platform for flexible multifunctional composites.
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BibTeX
@article{hao2026gradient,
title = {{Gradient multilayered RTV silicone rubber composites with carbonyl iron, conductive carbon, and ZnS for broadband microwave absorption and infrared stealth.}},
author = {Li Hao and Zhao Shuwei and Tu Qunzhang and Shen Xinmin and Peng Wenqiang and Liu Qing and Yin Qin and Ma Yao},
journal = {RSC advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6ra07751j},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42851678},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Gradient multilayered RTV silicone rubber composites with carbonyl iron, conductive carbon, and ZnS for broadband microwave absorption and infrared stealth.
AU - Li Hao
AU - Zhao Shuwei
AU - Tu Qunzhang
AU - Shen Xinmin
AU - Peng Wenqiang
AU - Liu Qing
AU - Yin Qin
AU - Ma Yao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - RSC advances
DO - 10.1039/d6ra07751j
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42851678
AB - The integration of broadband microwave absorption, infrared modulation, and mechanical flexibility within a single material remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a gradient multilayered composite is constructed by sequentially casting condensation-type room-temperature-vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV) layers containing carbonyl iron powder (CIP), conductive carbon black (CB), and zinc sulfide (ZnS) at progressively increasing filler loadings. This architecture spatially decouples impedance matching, electromagnetic attenuation, conductive reflection, and infrared modulation. The gradient composite achieves an absorption coefficient exceeding 0.9 across 8-18 GHz, corresponding to a 10 GHz effective absorption bandwidth. This broadband performance originates from a gradient impedance matching mechanism, whereby the top low-permittivity layer admits microwaves with minimal reflection and the underlying CIP layers progressively attenuate the transmitted energy through magnetic and dielectric losses, while the conductive CB bottom layer redirects residual waves back into the lossy region for a second attenuation pass. The mechanism is verified by transmission matrix method calculations and full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The ZnS-containing layer imparts tunable infrared emissivity, decreasing from 0.781 to 0.695 (3-5 µm) as the ZnS content increases from 10 to 30 wt%, with a steady-state radiation temperature reduction of 22.6 °C relative to Neat RTV. Mechanically, the gradient composite retains an elongation at break of 73.8%, approximately 2.6 times that of the individual brittle functional layers, owing to the protective effect of the ductile outer layers. This gradient multilayered design overcomes the inherent trade-offs among microwave absorption, infrared modulation, and mechanical flexibility, offering a versatile platform for flexible multifunctional composites.
SN - 2046-2069
ER -