High temperature flexible 2D metasurface based on optimal design for thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave absorption skin

The development of radar stealth skin with long term stable service and flexible deformability is the premise and foundation of improving the battlefield survivability of deformable aircraft. Aiming at the bottleneck problem of mismatch between the flexible configuration and the electromagnetic configuration of the existing stealth composite materials, a new type of SiO2 fiber paper (SFP) with flame retardant, thermal insulation, low dielectric constant and super-hydrophobic was prepared by combining the papermaking process with surface modification. The effects of solid content and high temperature environment on the mechanical properties, thermal insulation properties, dielectric properties and hydrophobic properties of SFP materials were studied in detail. Based on this, the optimal design and construction method of radar stealth metasurface suitable for flexible deformation are proposed, and the high temperature resistant flexible stealth skin metasurface is obtained. The metasurface has been demonstrated to achieve an effective wave absorption of −8 dB in the 10.9–16.4 GHz range at 400 μm thickness, making it an ideal candidate for flame retardant, flexible, thermal insulation and radar stealth skin under extreme conditions. It provides theoretical basis and technical support for the innovative development of high-speed deformable stealth aircraft. •A method for producing multifunctional flexible inorganic fiber papers is presented.•The stealthy metasurface topology optimization design of the stealthy skin radar is realized.•The camouflage properties of high temperature resistant flexible skin were characterized.