Electromechanical behavior of radar-absorbing thermoplastic composites with nickel-coated glass/polyamide 6 under high humidity conditions

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of moisture absorption on the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption performance and mechanical strength of a radar-absorbing structure (RAS) with nickel-coated pristine glass fibers and polyamide 6. To construct the RAS, nickel was deposited on pristine glass fibers via electroless plating, and the RAS was fabricated using a hot-press process. An environmental test was conducted under a high humidity of 85%, and the EM wave absorption capacity of the RAS was measured at 2-week intervals. Moreover, compressive and interlaminar shear tests were conducted to verify the degradation of mechanical strength and the effect of the nickel coating on moisture absorption resistance. The test results revealed that immersion in moisture degraded the EM absorption capacity of the RAS. Nevertheless, an improvement in the mechanical strength of the RAS after saturation was observed due to the nickel coating.