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Fabrication and analysis of 3D printed ABS-iron powder composites for radar absorption

  • Onur Cetinkaya, born in 1993, obtained his B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Celal Bayar University, Türkiye. He later completed his M.Sc. studies in Dokuz Eylul University, The Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, where his research focused on the development of polymer-based composites for additive manufacturing applications. He has gained international research experience as a fellow at the Optical Biomedical Engineering Laboratory (OBEL) of the University of Western Australia and as a researcher at the International Centre for Translational Eye Research (ICTER). He is currently based in İzmir, Türkiye.

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    Dr. Metin Yurddaskal, born in 1989, received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Dokuz Eylul University, İzmir, Türkiye. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Dokuz Eylül University. His research focuses on nanomaterials, polymer nanocomposites, EMI shielding materials, and advanced functional coatings. He also serves as the deputy director of the center for production and applications of electronic materials (EMUM) and the chair of the Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Graduate Program at the same university in İzmir, Türkiye.

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Published/Copyright: January 12, 2026
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Materials Testing
From the journal Materials Testing Volume 68 Issue 2

Abstract

Radar-absorbing materials (RAMs) were fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM) using ABS–iron powder composite filaments produced with a custom single-screw extruder. RAM plates and tensile specimens were printed to evaluate electromagnetic and mechanical performance under representative processing conditions. The fabrication route allowed control over material composition and printed geometry without requiring specialized equipment. Reflection losses were measured in the 8–12 GHz range using a vector network analyzer, while tensile tests on horizontally and vertically printed specimens were conducted to assess material strength and interlayer adhesion effects. The results confirmed the anisotropic mechanical behavior typical of FDM parts. For plain ABS, horizontal tensile strength reached approximately 0.77 × that of injection-molded ABS, whereas vertical strength decreased to about 0.45 × . With iron powder addition, vertical strength further decreased to approximately 0.18 × of the horizontal value at 50 wt.% iron content. Despite this reduction in mechanical performance, complex RAM geometries were fabricated with consistent print quality and electromagnetic absorption reaching 44 dB at 9.4 GHz. These findings highlight the potential of FDM-based processing for rapid prototyping and functional evaluation of radar-absorbing structures. Overall, the proposed workflow enables composition- and geometry-based tuning of the effective absorption frequency range using an accessible FDM-based manufacturing approach.

Keywords: composite filament fabrication; filament extruder; fused deposition modeling; layer adhesion; radar absorbing materials
Corresponding author: Metin Yurddaskal, Dokuz Eylul University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Izmir, Turkey; Dokuz Eylul University, Center for Fabrication and Application of Electronic Materials, Izmir, Turkey; and Dokuz Eylul University, Department of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, Izmir, Turkey, E-mail:

About the authors

Onur Cetinkaya

Onur Cetinkaya, born in 1993, obtained his B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Celal Bayar University, Türkiye. He later completed his M.Sc. studies in Dokuz Eylul University, The Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, where his research focused on the development of polymer-based composites for additive manufacturing applications. He has gained international research experience as a fellow at the Optical Biomedical Engineering Laboratory (OBEL) of the University of Western Australia and as a researcher at the International Centre for Translational Eye Research (ICTER). He is currently based in İzmir, Türkiye.

Metin Yurddaskal

Dr. Metin Yurddaskal, born in 1989, received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Dokuz Eylul University, İzmir, Türkiye. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Dokuz Eylül University. His research focuses on nanomaterials, polymer nanocomposites, EMI shielding materials, and advanced functional coatings. He also serves as the deputy director of the center for production and applications of electronic materials (EMUM) and the chair of the Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Graduate Program at the same university in İzmir, Türkiye.

Acknowledgments

The authors greatly thankful to Dokuz Eylül University, the Center for Production and Applications of Electronic Materials (EMUM) for their valuable support.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Published Online: 2026-01-12
Published in Print: 2026-02-24

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Heat treatment and corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel metal rubber
  3. Fatigue life and damage behaviors of GFRP pipes under circumferential bend loading
  4. Topology optimization and thickness minimization of a motor plate used in tower cranes
  5. Comparison of the ballistic performance of 6063, 6061, 6082 aluminum alloy louvers under 7.62 mm bullet impact
  6. Improvement of the mechanical properties of Kagome structures using PUR foam matrices
  7. Design-dependent mechanical performance of additively manufactured hybrid hierarchical TPMS-based auxetic polymer structures
  8. Microstructure and wear resistance of in-situ synthesized TiC/TiB2 reinforced iron-based composite laser cladded coating
  9. Fabrication and analysis of 3D printed ABS-iron powder composites for radar absorption
  10. Influence of riveting speed on mechanical performance of self piercing riveted (SPR) aluminum 5182 sheets
  11. Influence of GMAW welding parameters on grain size, precipitates, and hardness in alloy 6063-T5
  12. Tribomechanical properties of direct energy deposited ceramic reinforced coatings on alloy TC4
  13. Adhesive wear performance of NiHard-4, alloyed spherical cast iron compared to high Cr cast irons and tool steels
  14. Mechanical and thermal properties of jute fiber–reinforced composites with rice husk ash filler for structural applications
  15. Analysis of an internal heat exchanger (IHX) for vehicle air conditioning systems
  16. Multi-objective optimization of process parameters in electro discharge machining of Inconel 625 superalloy with different electrode materials
  17. Optimization of 3D printing parameters for thermal conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced PLA components
  18. Effect of rainwater immersion on the wear and friction characteristics of Ni–B and Ni–B–TiO2 coatings
  19. Wear resistivity and ANFIS modeling for hybrid aluminum metal matrix composites at elevated temperatures
  20. In vitro tribological behavior of Mg2Zn1Mn/HA-Al2O3 nano-biocomposites
  21. The mine blast algorithm for the structural optimization of electrical vehicle components
  22. Influence of stitching on the interlaminar fracture toughness energy – modes I and II – of unidirectional GFRP
https://doi.org/10.1515/mt-2025-0221
Keywords for this article
composite filament fabrication; filament extruder; fused deposition modeling; layer adhesion; radar absorbing materials

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Heat treatment and corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel metal rubber
  3. Fatigue life and damage behaviors of GFRP pipes under circumferential bend loading
  4. Topology optimization and thickness minimization of a motor plate used in tower cranes
  5. Comparison of the ballistic performance of 6063, 6061, 6082 aluminum alloy louvers under 7.62 mm bullet impact
  6. Improvement of the mechanical properties of Kagome structures using PUR foam matrices
  7. Design-dependent mechanical performance of additively manufactured hybrid hierarchical TPMS-based auxetic polymer structures
  8. Microstructure and wear resistance of in-situ synthesized TiC/TiB2 reinforced iron-based composite laser cladded coating
  9. Fabrication and analysis of 3D printed ABS-iron powder composites for radar absorption
  10. Influence of riveting speed on mechanical performance of self piercing riveted (SPR) aluminum 5182 sheets
  11. Influence of GMAW welding parameters on grain size, precipitates, and hardness in alloy 6063-T5
  12. Tribomechanical properties of direct energy deposited ceramic reinforced coatings on alloy TC4
  13. Adhesive wear performance of NiHard-4, alloyed spherical cast iron compared to high Cr cast irons and tool steels
  14. Mechanical and thermal properties of jute fiber–reinforced composites with rice husk ash filler for structural applications
  15. Analysis of an internal heat exchanger (IHX) for vehicle air conditioning systems
  16. Multi-objective optimization of process parameters in electro discharge machining of Inconel 625 superalloy with different electrode materials
  17. Optimization of 3D printing parameters for thermal conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced PLA components
  18. Effect of rainwater immersion on the wear and friction characteristics of Ni–B and Ni–B–TiO2 coatings
  19. Wear resistivity and ANFIS modeling for hybrid aluminum metal matrix composites at elevated temperatures
  20. In vitro tribological behavior of Mg2Zn1Mn/HA-Al2O3 nano-biocomposites
  21. The mine blast algorithm for the structural optimization of electrical vehicle components
  22. Influence of stitching on the interlaminar fracture toughness energy – modes I and II – of unidirectional GFRP
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