Non-Toxic Nanomaterials for Obscurant Applications

"Smokes and obscurants are widely used by the military to degrade the enemy's surveillance and weapon guidance systems. However, recent developments in imaging technology have pushed the limits of conventional obscurants. Studies on new obscurants havefocused on the use of fine-diameter powders, which have shown significant improvements. Nanomaterials Research has developed nanomaterials since our founding in 1994. This SBIR project seeks to apply our extensive knowledge of nanomaterials to the fieldof military obscurants.Because of the inherent flexibility of our processes, the opportunities to achieve very different material configurations are quite extensive. These nanopowders can be readily dispersed and released as aerosols or packed into devices for deployment. Theyare high-temperature compatible and unaffected by vibrations.In addition to fine powders, Nanomaterials Research is also developing nanowires and nanotubes with very high aspect ratios. Such materials are not available today and could provide even greater extinction capabilities within the infrared regime due totheir unique shape. In addition to benefits to the military, we anticipate that the knowledge and experience gained herein can be translated into a wide array of spin-off commercial applications such as biomedical devices, probes, and antenna components."