4D Printed Screw-like Electromagnetic Metamaterial with Functionally Graded Element Sequencing and Its Performance Investigation

doi:10.3901/JME.260083

Abstract

Abstract: 4D printing offers electromagnetic metamaterials enhanced manufacturing capabilities for multi-material systems and multi-dimensional structures. Leveraging the stimulus-responsive behavior of materials, it unlocks significant advantages in dynamic tunability and multifunctional integration. The screw structure from mechanical engineering as a bio-inspired prototype is taked. Using CB/PLA composite filament as the EM-loss matrix and CB/TPU-PLA composite filament as the 4D smart material substrate, a functionally graded element-sequenced, 4D printed screw-like electromagnetic metamaterial is designed and fabricated via fused deposition modeling (FDM). The influence of multi-material combinations and structural geometric parameters on the microwave absorption performance of the metamaterial is investigated, and its broadband absorption mechanisms are elucidated. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the metamaterial exhibits an exceptionally wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 36.95 GHz and a minimum reflection loss of -33.26 dB. It also possesses excellent wide-angle absorption characteristics (EAB ≥ 34.66 GHz) across an incidence angle range of θ = 0-60°. Furthermore, the metamaterial exhibits outstanding shape memory properties, achieving a shape recovery ratio exceeding 90% within 30 seconds. Combining a broad effective absorption bandwidth with favorable shape memory characteristics, the screw-like electromagnetic metamaterial provides a novel solution for applications such as intelligent electromagnetic protection and adaptive stealth. This work contributes to the advancement of electromagnetic metamaterials towards multifunctional integration.

Key words: 4D printing, microwave-absorbing metamaterial, bio-inspired structure, broadband microwave absorption, shape memory properties

CLC Number:

TG164

DENG Kaixin, SONG Jun, FANG Ruxuan, SONG Bo. 4D Printed Screw-like Electromagnetic Metamaterial with Functionally Graded Element Sequencing and Its Performance Investigation[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(3): 248-259.

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