Chinese researchers claim they have developed a heat-resistant coating for fighter jets to absorb radar waves, and to help the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) catch up with the United States in stealth technology.
According to a paper published October 14 in Advanced Materials, Peking University and Harbin Engineering University scientists have created a lightweight, ultra-thin “metasurface” that combines flexibility, strength, and electromagnetic absorption.
The coating, only 0.1 millimeter thick, can reportedly endure temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) and maintain performance under high-speed airflow, conditions typical of supersonic flight, according to the South China Morning Post.
Led by researchers Cui Guang and Liu Zhongfan of Peking University, along with Wang Huihui of Peking University of Technology and Li Maoyuan of Harbin Engineering University, the study describes how the team used a chemical vapor deposition technique to deposit graphene directly onto a silica fabric substrate.
The result was a graphene-silica fiber membrane (G@SFM), a cloth-like material that is both lightweight and thermally stable.
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