Additively manufactured rectangular waveguides for the electromagnetic characterization of materials using the transmission/reflection line method
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 10 November 2023
Issue publication date: 7 February 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Radio frequency (RF) technology relies on the electromagnetic properties of the materials used, which includes their complex permittivities and loss tangents. To measure these properties, techniques for material characterization such as the transmission/reflection method are used in conjunction with conversion techniques to calculate these values from scattering parameters. Unfortunately, these techniques rely on relatively expensive rectangular waveguide adaptors and components, especially if testing over large frequency ranges. This paper aims to overcome this challenge by developing a more affordable test equipment solution based on additively manufactured waveguide sections.
Design/methodology/approach
To evaluate the effectiveness of using additively manufactured waveguides to perform electromagnetic characterization with the transmission/reflection method, samples of PLA Tough with varying infill percentages and samples made from several Formlabs photopolymer resins are fabricated and analyzed.
Findings
Results show that the method yielded permittivity and loss tangent values for the measured materials that generally agree with those found in the literature, supporting its credibility.
Originality/value
The accessibility of this measurement technique will ideally allow for more electromagnetic material characterization to occur and expand the possible use of additive manufacturing in future RF designs. This work also provides characterization of several Formlabs photopolymer resins, which have not been widely analyzed in the current literature.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the United States Naval Academy faculty and staff for their support and the use of their shared facilities. The authors also extend their condolences to the family of U.S. Navy Capt. John D. Stevens, PhD, their friend and coauthor on this paper who passed away in July 2023 while this manuscript was under review.
Citation
Smith, C.S., Julius, A., Arbeeny, C. and Stevens, J.D. (2024), "Additively manufactured rectangular waveguides for the electromagnetic characterization of materials using the transmission/reflection line method", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 270-276. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-06-2023-0197
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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