B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Induced Zinc Tungstate-epoxy Composite for High Performance Antenna Applications

Microwave dielectric ceramics, dispersed polymer matrix composites, play a pivotal role in contemporary wireless communication systems due to the strategic combination of miniaturization and efficient electromagnetic wave processing. In this work, complex oxides were prepared to suit the requirements of compact and superior high-frequency devices. The zinc tungstate-boron oxide and zinc tungstate powders were synthesised by a solid-state reaction and subsequently embedded in an epoxy matrix to provide a new functional polymer composite. Structural characterizations were measured with x-ray diffraction (XRD (Lab6000)), and microwave dielectric properties were measured with a Vector Network Analyser (VNA). The resulting zinc tungstate – 5 wt.% boron oxide/epoxy composite showed great potential dielectric performance with a high dielectric constant (ɛr) of 30 and a low loss tangent (tan δ) of 0.0001. To illustrate the practical feasibility of these composites, Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Studio Suite was used to design and simulate a microstrip patch antenna. Simulation results revealed that incorporating 5 % boron oxide not only improved the microwave dielectric properties but also transformed the material into a highly effective antenna substrate that surpasses traditional materials with respect to matching depth (-45 dB) and radiation efficiency (93.4 %).