Electromagnetic obscurants and smokes are important components in the defense of DOD weapons, vehicles, and personnel. When deployed, the obscurants decrease the electromagnetic energy available for the function of trackers, sensors, optical enhancement devices, seekers, and the human eye. Flake shaped conductive particles with nanoscale dimensions have high extinction efficiencies but are challenging to efficiently disseminate. In this Phase I SBIR we will investigate nanoscale dispersants and drying techniques that will improve the performance of brass, graphite, and aluminum-based obscurants. Scalable and cost-effective drying methods will be optimized to produce powders that are readily dispersed using moderate shear forces.
