POLYPYRROLE-COATED FIBERS AS MICROWAVE AND MILLIMETER-WAVE OBSCURANTS

Microwave and millimeterwave obscurants based on typical millimeterwav e materials do not environmentally degrade with respect to their physi cal and electrical properties. The use of conductive polymer-coated fi lms and fibers with inherent environmental instabilities are being inv estigated as possible alternatives. Achieving the optimum electrical p erformance is highly dependent upon the polymer/dopant combination, de position conditions, morphology and volume of the coating that is used . The electrical performance can be assessed by complex permittivity a nalysis and this was performed on samples of compacted conductive poly mer powders. Several conductive polymer-coated fiber systems were also investigated via thermal analysis. The effects of processing conditio ns on performance and stability were studied.