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Engineering Science in
Additive Manufacturing AM-CFRP structures for EMWA properties

their exceptional strength, chemical stability, lightweight Many researchers are interested in additive
nature, and high-temperature resilience. Concerns manufacturing to create materials that absorb microwave
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around EMI, or interference from electronic components radiation. 22,23 These printable materials can be made by
impacting the environment, have been raised owing to attaching conductive films to the surface of the structure,
the utilization of several electronic products. Due to applying microwave-absorbing coatings, or incorporating
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its low voltage and high integration, modern electronic electrical or magnetic absorbers into the printing matrix.
equipment is vulnerable to EMI, which can seriously Although its mechanical characteristics, shape memory
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impair its functionality. For example, Shi et al. investigated effects, and functional structures have been extensively
the 3D-printed carbon-based conformal EMI shielding studied, several works have investigated microwave
module for integrated electronics, which exhibited an absorption. For example, Gao et al. performed the long
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ultralight architecture (0.076 g·m ) and remarkable continuous CF (LCCF) to reach strong electromagnetic
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shielding effectiveness capability (61.4 dB). Furthermore, it performance and excellent mechanical strength. It
is impossible to ignore the possible harm to human health, achieved broadband effective absorption (reflection loss,
given the extensive usage of electronic devices. Therefore, RL < −10 dB) over the frequency range of 3.4 – 18 GHz
effective electromagnetic absorption (EMA) techniques are with maximum bending strength of 110.5 MPa. Therefore,
essential to resolving these problems, and materials that in microwave-absorbing materials, the CF-reinforced 3D
can absorb electromagnetic fields have attracted interest. printing technique has great potential for research and
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These absorbed materials can reduce electromagnetic application. Multimaterial 3D printing has emerged
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waves by either reflecting them on their surface, absorbing as a promising research direction for tailoring EMWA
and dissipating them within the material, or using both properties by precisely controlling material composition
strategies, depending on their specific characteristics. 9 and structural design. 2,26,27 For instance, Zhang et al.
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A type of functional material that may absorb or conducted multi-material fused deposition modeling
drastically reduce microwaves that shine on their (FDM) to manufacture structural-functional integrated
surfaces is known as microwave-absorbing material. absorbers with multiscale structures possessing tunable
Functional material has been widely used in sensor design, broadband microwave absorption. It provides new insights
electromagnetic protection, aircraft electromagnetic and a novel approach to the design and rapid fabrication of
stealth, and other areas. Recently, many functional lightweight structural absorbers.
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materials that absorb electromagnetic radiation have Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a powerful
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been studied. 11-13 For example, Zhang et al. proposed tool for optimizing multifunctional CFRP structures that
the facile preparation strategy to construct 3D reduced balance mechanical strength and EMA performance.
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graphene oxide-supported N-doped carbon nanotube Traditional trial-and-error approaches are often time-
(CNT) on reduced graphene oxide as multi-functional consuming and limited in handling complex design
materials, which showed a minimal reflection loss of constraints. ML algorithms, particularly deep neural
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−33.2 dB at 13.3 GHz. Carbon fibers (CFs) and carbon- networks (DNNs) and genetic algorithm (GA)-based
based composites are superior microwave-absorbing optimization can efficiently explore vast design spaces
materials, which are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, by correlating processing parameters, microstructural
electrically conductive, environmentally stable, compatible features, and performance metrics. For example, Wang
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with mass production, and amenable to design freedom, et al. developed the ML-based method for co-design
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with examples including CF, graphene, carbon and optimization of microwave-absorbing/load-bearing
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black, and nanotube materials. However, because of multifunctional structures. It was indicated that the
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its better dielectric qualities, CF materials have various optimized multi-functional structure achieved more than
disadvantages, such as poor impedance matching, which 90% absorption in the frequency range of 2.5 – 18.0 GHz
may perform better in microwave absorption since it does and superior load-bearing performance. Zhang et al.
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not lose magnetic energy. Consequently, the modification investigated the evolutionary algorithm-based integrated
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of CF-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites is the main design of material-structural microwave absorption
research interest in improving microwave absorption with on radiant honeycomb metastructure. It achieved the
excellent mechanical performance. For example, Tang integration of material functionality and structural design
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et al. prepared lightweight zirconium-modified carbon- and provided effective absorption across a broad frequency
carbon composites to improve oxidation resistance, which range. The integration of additive manufacturing, advanced
reached a minimum reflection loss (RL ) of −61.1 dB. materials, and ML-driven optimization holds great
min
The incorporation of zirconium can make the composites promise for realizing multi-functional CFRP structures
exhibit better microwave absorption performance. with superior mechanical and EMA properties.
Volume 1 Issue 2 (2025) 2 doi: 10.36922/ESAM025160008