Investigation of Using Nickel Based Conductive Coatings in the Radar Wave Absorbers With Salisbury Screen Structure

In this study, two- and three-dimensional polyester fabrics were coated with nickel via electroless plating method in order to produce X-band radar absorbing coatings. Morphology, thickness, coating composition, conductivity and radar absorption behavior of them were evaluated. After coating, the conduction of two- and three-dimensional fabrics was increased to 0.023 and 0.0043 cm2/?, respectively. Checking the morphology of the coatings by scanning electron microscopy showed that the nickel particles on the surface of fibers have the dome-shaped structures. Microstructure investigation of fabricated polyester coatings by X-ray spectral energy distribution showed that the amount of loaded nickel is 64.56%. The study of the radar absorption behavior of two- and three-dimensional coatings showed that the both of them can absorb more than 96.45% X-band radar waves (8-12 GHz). The investigation of the washing, rubbing and light fastness of fabricated coatings showed that electroless plating method can fix nickel on the surface of fibers well so that these coatings show high stability against these environmental factors.