Measurement of the reflection and transmission properties of conducting fabrics at milli-metric wave frequencies

Abstract

There is increasing interest in conducting fabrics and their uses at radio frequencies and microwave frequencies. The reflection and transmission measurements of bobbinet and knitted materials from around 8 GHz into the milli-metric frequency range 110 GHz, where the material geometry is comparable to the wavelength of the wave are considered. Bobbinet materials were found to behave like lossy dielectrics and may be useful in the construction of thin lightweight screening and absorption planes. While the knitted materials, with very small mesh geometry, gave a reflection coefficient which was comparable to a metal foil.