Copper and Brass NanoFlakes for IR Signature Reduction and Obscuration

High aspect ratio nanoflakes, composed of copper and/or brass, exhibit little agglomeration and high extinction coefficients making them ideal candidates for advanced countermeasure devices such as smoke pots and grenades.

FIGURE: M58 "Wolf" Smoke Producing Armored Vehicle

Proliferation of thermal imaging systems on the battlefield requires the use of obscurant smokes that are largely opaque in the infrared. Used in various munitions and countermeasure devices, conductive nanoflakes, deployed as a smoke, create an infrared reflective shroud under which warm bodies become difficult to detected. Unlike conductive particles produced from conventional methods (such as milled particles), SigMaterials nanoflakes are extremely thin and comparatively lightweight, which means they are able to stay airborne for significantly longer periods of time.

Additionally, the high-aspect ratio of SigMaterials nanoflakes allow for significantly higher surface area, which results in greater reflection if infrared per unit weight.