Preparation and Heating of the Phantom Material Mixture

Begin the sonication of 0.15 grams of titanium dioxide and one milliliter of the absorber dye stock solution in 100 milliliters of mineral oil at 90 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes. Let all the components dissolve completely. Use suitable glassware and silicone oil to create an oil bath and carefully secure it on the hot plate.

For uniform heat distribution, place a magnetic stir bar inside the oil bath. Turn on the hot plate, set the heating temperature to 160 degrees Celsius and adjust the stir to 50 RPM. Next, weigh 25.14 grams of SEBS and 6.70 grams of LDPE and transfer them into the glass beaker containing the sonicated mineral oil.

Place a stir bar in the beaker and transfer it to the center of the oil bath to heat the measured components. When the added polymers float over the mineral oil, manually stir the mineral oil solution using a metal spatula and distribute the floating polymer inside the mineral oil. Leave the mixture at 160 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours until all the polymer is dissolved and the solution appears uniformly mixed, smooth, and homogenous.