Exploiting the Patch Antennas for Wireless Identification of Polymer Substrates

Polymer characterization is essential for understanding the physical, chemical, and electrical properties of materials, which directly influence their performance in various applications. Accurate characterization ensures quality control, material optimization, and suitability for specific industrial applications, including electronics, automotive sector, and coatings. This paper presents a novel approach to polymer characterization utilizing rectangular patch antennas, exploiting the sensitivity of microwave frequencies to the dielectric properties of polymer materials. Patch antennas operating in the GHz range are designed to measure shifts in resonance frequency and bandwidth when a polymer sample is placed in proximity to the antenna. These shifts provide valuable insight into the electromagnetic properties of the polymer, as they correspond to changes in the effective dielectric constant and loss tangent of the polymer. The proposed patch antenna is applicable for sensing the relative permittivity $(\varepsilon_{\mathrm{r}})$ in the range 2–10, with a change in resonant frequency of 0.45% of the initial resonant frequency.