Study on the Optimization of Electromagnetic Absorption and Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed γ-Fe₂O₃/UV Resin-Based Honeycomb Structures

The absorbing material featuring a honeycomb core structure exhibits dual functionalities of load-bearing and electromagnetic wave absorption, making it widely applicable in stealth technology. This study combines γ-Fe 2 O 3 with a photosensitive resin to serve as the base material for 3D printing. Characterization of both γ-Fe 2 O 3 and UV resin materials is performed. The absorption performance at ratios of 1, 10, and 30% is evaluated by using strong perturbation and transmission line methods, leading to the identification of the optimal material ratio. Furthermore, the impact of honeycomb structure dimensions on its absorption performance is examined through a three-factor, three-level orthogonal experiment, resulting in optimized honeycomb dimensions. Finally, experimental validation and simulation analyses are conducted to elucidate the integrated mechanisms underlying wave absorption and the mechanical properties. The findings indicate that the optimal concentration of γ-Fe 2 O 3 is 1%. The honeycomb structure exhibiting superior absorption performance has a wall thickness of t = 1.6 mm, a height of h = 40 mm, and a diameter d = 4 mm. At a frequency of 17 GHz, the reflection loss measures −18.4 dB, with an effective absorption bandwidth spanning 10.62 GHz; notably, at 16.6 GHz, the reflection loss reaches −39.84 dB. Furthermore, the tensile strength of honeycomb specimens is found to be 111.33% relative to standard specimens, while those incorporating γ-Fe 2 O 3 exhibit tensile strengths at 107.34% compared to conventional honeycomb structures. In terms of compressive strength, honeycomb compression specimens demonstrate only 43.44% of that observed in standard samples. However, those enhanced with γ-Fe 2 O 3 achieve compressive strengths at 104.92% when compared with ordinary counterparts. The integrated mechanism underlying both absorption and mechanical properties in these honeycombs encompasses material and structural contributions to absorption as well as the dispersion mechanism whereby nanosized γ-Fe 2 O 3 particles within the resin matrix enhance mechanical characteristics.