A new method for millimeter-wave characterization of thin resistive fabrics

Resistive and conductive fabrics sometimes referred to as electro-textiles have wide applications in RFI shielding, anti-static, RFID, wearable antennas, radar absorbing materials for military and automotive applications. Many commercially available conductive and resistive fabrics do not have material specifications at millimeter-wave frequencies such as 77 GHz of interest here. Therefore, the easiest way to determine these properties is through measurement. This paper discusses a novel and convenient methodology for characterizing the reflective properties of conductive and resistive fabrics at millimeter waves with good accuracy and repeatability. We also present an example of applying such fabric measurement method for accurately characterize an artificial skin used on radar mannequins for producing similar backscattering as a human at 77 GHz for automotive radar applications.