Recent developments in radar absorbing paints and the Zinc oxide tetrapod whisker

Recent advancements in the field of material science have created several novel materials whose electromagnetic (EM) properties make them ideal candidates for use as radar absorbing materials (RAM). The new types of RAM materials can be applied as very thin layers of paints and still maintain their absorption effectiveness making them ideal for radar cross section (RCS) reduction on aircraft, bridges, ships, and other structures. An ideal RAM paint would have significant bandwidth, excellent durability in harsh environments, and not affect the aerodynamic properties. This paper presents a brief review of the classes of RAM and an analysis of zinc-oxide tetrapod whiskers as RAM.