Stand-Off Biosensors and Air-Motion Sensors

Not Available With the increasing demands being placed on military systems, there is a need for each component of the system to perform as many functions as possible. This approach can greatly increase the potential for mission success while reducing the size and weight of the system. Carbon materials can play a unique role in the design of multifunctional materials for these systems. The focus of this proposal is to combine the multiple functions for which carbons have been used over the last several decades into a structural carbon component. Recent research has demonstrated the viability of an innovative new process for producing net-shaped carbon reinforced composites which avoids the use of costly fibers and complex forming procedures. This is accomplished by the thermal decomposition of wood under controlled conditions to produce a porous carbon monolith which can be shaped by conventional low cost machining. The shaped carbon serves as a scaffold for forming a composite via infiltration with a second phase without change in dimensions. These carbons have been demonstrated to have compressive mechanical strengths that are superior to the precursor woods from which they are derived. In addition, it has been shown that it is possible to activate these materials to yield surface areas similar to those produced by other charcoal activation processes.