Antennas constitute a cornerstone of modern wireless communication technology. Antennas are designed to receive and emit electromagnetic radiation and to act as a conduit between free space and wireless devices. A basic requirement of conventional antennas is that they contain an electrical conductor. For this reason, most traditional antennas have been limited to metallic structures. For antenna applications in which weight is a consideration, metallic antennas can also be problematic in some instances.
In various structural applications, polymers and polymer composites have been used as a lightweight replacement for metals. Although certain polymers and polymer composites are electrically conductive or can be made electrically conductive, low conductivities have generally limited their use as a metal replacement in applications requiring electrical conductivity.
In view of the foregoing, non-metallic or at least partially non-metallic antenna structures would be of considerable utility in a variety of applications in which metallic antennas are conventionally used. The present disclosure describes antenna structures prepared from highly conductive polymer composites utilizing conductive carbon nanotubes as a filler material. These antenna structures provide an alternative approach to traditional antennas that are wholly metallic. Such non-metallic or at least partially non-metallic antenna structures are advantageous in having a lower weight than comparable metallic antennas and in offering significantly improved antenna efficiencies.