[AMPS] Propeties of plastics at 10 GHz

[Dave Kirkby]

Sorry this is not stictly about amps, but I guess someone here might
know the answer.

We have a student working on using a 10 GHz transmitter (burgler alarm
type, using a 10GHz Gunn diode) and detector (Schottky diode) to measure
attenuation caused by cloathing soaked with water (to determine the
amount of water in the cloathing). We need to find a plastic (or other
material that we can machine things from) that *absorbs* microwave
energy at 10 GHz. I don't want a good reflector (metals), but something
that will attenuate by absorption (ie it would get hot if we used enough
power).

Do any hams that have experience of 10 GHz know of such plastics, or
does anyone know of a professional reference on the subject. I've looked
on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) web site,
but could not find the data. Its possibly there, but I could not spot
it. The National Physical Laboritory (NPL) might have it, but these
things are often well burried in obscure journals.

Its not my project, so dont want to spend a lot of time looking, but if
anyone knows from practical 10GHz experience, please let me know.

Dave Kirkby G8WRB
Dept of Medical Physics,
University College London,
11-20 Capper St,
London,
WC1E 6JA.



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