Investigation and Development of 3D Printed Biodegradable PLA as Compact Antenna for Broadband Applications

Abstract

This paper presents the feasibility of biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA) for the creation of 3D structure as a radiator. Biodegradable PLA is a special type of polymer having a dielectric constant ((Formula presented.)) of 3.45 with loss tangent (tan ?) of 0.05 which is made from renewable resources instead of non-renewable petroleum-based resources. Three conventional Dielectric Resonator Antennas (DRAs), i.e. Cylindrical DR Antenna (CDRA), Rectangular DR Antenna (RDRA), and Triangular DR Antenna (TDRA) with supporting pillars have been developed and investigated for broadband applications. These three different structures are used to validate the features of PLA for antenna applications. Proposed antennas cover wide impedance bandwidth of 74.54%, 71.36%, and 69.05% (|S11|?<??10?dB) for CDRA, RDRA, and TDRA, respectively. Measured results are correlated with simulations. The average peak gain of proposed antennas is more than 4?dBi within operating band. The fabricated antenna possesses compact size with light-weight and cost-effective feature. Thus, proposed antennas can use for a variety of wireless applications such as weather monitoring, air traffic control, scanning & discrimination, mobile service, radio navigation, and many other applications of C-band, X-band, and Ku-band. © 2018 IETE