High Aspect Ratio Conductive Flakes for Advanced Bispectral, Infrared, and Asymmetric Obscuration

Obscurants are materials that absorb, scatter, or emit radiation in the visible, infrared (IR), or millimeter wavelength regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to reduce the transmission of radiation. For military applications, this reduction of transmitted radiation interrupts the line of sight between the target and observer to provide a key defensive tool to protect US warfighters from detection through visual, optical, or electronic sensor devices. Yet, the aerosol-based mass extinction coefficients (MECs) of legacy obscurants are not satisfactory. Due to the increase in advanced IR threats and directed energy systems that operate in the Near Infrared (0.9 - 1.5 Ąm), IR (1.5 - 15 Ąm) wavelength ranges, there is a significant need to improve IR obscuration materials that effectively absorb and scatter IR light. In this Phase II program, Luna Labs will use modeling to identify materials with appropriate geometries, dimensions, and structures to synthesize obscurants that are absorbing and scattering dominant, scale the production using roll-to-roll processes to produce the designed materials, and evaluate the obscurants use in laser defeat, imager defeater, and asymmetric obscuration in the IR. The materials developed here will have a significant impact on Army capabilities as well as capabilities for DARPA, the Navy, Airforce, and broader DoD.