Abstract: Composite structures having an integral intelligent skin are made of one or more plies of a structural base material and an intelligent or smart film by molding one or more plies and the film into an integral unitary body with the intelligent film outermost. The intelligent or smart film contains or bears a functionally active or interactive component such as antennae, electronic sensors, electric and/or electronic circuitry, and/or spectrally tailored coatings. A method of making the composite structure in a very economical manner is disclosed.

Abstract: Composite structures having an integral intelligent skin are made of one or more plies of a structural base material and an intelligent or smart film by molding one or more plies and the film into an integral unitary body with the intelligent film outermost. The intelligent or smart film contains or bears a functionally active or interactive component such as antennae, electronic sensors, electric and/or electronic circuitry, and/or spectrally tailored coatings. A method of making the composite structure in a very economical manner is disclosed.

Abstract: Composite structures having an integral intelligent skin are made of one or more plies of a structural base material and an intelligent or smart film by molding one or more plies and the film into an integral unitary body with the intelligent film outermost. The intelligent or smart film contains or bears a functionally active or interactive component such as antennae, electronic sensors, electric and/or electronic circuitry, and/or spectrally tailored coatings. A method of making the composite structure in a very economical manner is disclosed.

Abstract: Thin multilayer signature control films having a large differential between the indices of refraction of adjoining layers are characterized by the use as the low index layer or layers of a material having a high coefficient of extinction and a very low index of refraction. The enhanced differential between the indices of refraction results in signature control materials which, in one embodiment, may be comprised of just a substrate and a coating and, in another embodiment, may be a supported or unsupported multilayer film comprised of as few as three layers that have performance characteristics equal to or exceeding prior art films comprised of 15-30 layers. Both continuous films and pigmented liquid coating compositions for signature control are provided. Improved pigments for liquid coating compositions are comprised of appropriately coated microspheres and microballoons.

Abstract: Optical coating compositions containing thin film particulates or pigments that are capable of imparting to the coating preselected optical characteristics or properties, such as selective reflectance, transmission and absorptance of light energy, are comprised of film forming binder and improved high volume pigment particles dispersed in the binder. Each pigment particle is a high volume flake comprised of an inorganic or polymer core having two sides and a thin film optical structure deposited onto each of the two sides of the core. The core occupies a large volume of the coating composition and dramatically reduces the number of flakes and the amount of thin film structures required to produce a coating of given thickness and desired optical properties. The core may also be fabricated to have diffuse and irregular side surfaces in order to render the applied coating visually diffuse and nonspecular. Methods of making the pigment particles are disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetodielectric composition is made of flakes of magnetic material dispersed in a binder at a concentration of about 30 to 60%. The flakes consist of a thin film of magnetic material or alternating thin film layers of magnetic material and insulating material. The flakes do not include a substrate. Consequently, the effective volume concentration of magnetic material in the composition is far greater than with other magnetodielectric materials. The binder is selected to provide a fluent composition for application like paint or a setable composition for formation of sheets and molded structural elements. In use, the composition is effective to reduce the size, weight and volume of electrical devices such as antennas, delay lines, phase shifters and other devices requiring interaction with and/or magnetic response to high frequency radiation.

Abstract: Thin multilayer signature control films having a large differential between the indices of refraction of adjoining layers are characterized by the use as the low index layer or layers of a material having a high coefficient of extinction and a very low index of refraction. The enhanced differential between the indices of refraction results in signature control materials which, in one embodiment, may be comprised of just a substrate and a coating and, in another embodiment, may be a supported or unsupported multilayer film comprised of as few as three layers that have performance characteristics equal to or exceeding prior art films comprised of 15-30 layers. Both continuous films and pigmented liquid coating compositions for signature control are provided. Improved pigments for liquid coating compositions are comprised of appropriately coated microspheres and microballoons.

Abstract: Infrared (IR) reflective radio frequency (RF) transparent coating materials are comprised of coated microspheres dispersed as discrete pigment particles in an IR and RF transparent film forming binder. Each microsphere is comprised of a dielectric core, a layer of IR reflective RF conductive material on the core, and an IR and RF transparent layer of insulating material coated over and encapsulating the reflective layer. The insulating layer prohibits transmission of currents between the conductive layers and the spheres are of sufficiently small size in relation to RF wavelengths as to permit passage of RF energy through the coating. The coated microspheres are visually colored, and being spherical, provide on a coated object a film or coating that is visually colored and highly diffuse, as well as being IR reflective and RF transparent.

Abstract: A bulk RF absorber and a method for constructing same. The absorber is composed of multiple sheets of a reticulated dielectric material, each sheet being coated with at least one layer of radiation absorbing material to create a radiation absorption gradient across a width dimension of the sheet. The sheets are stacked with their respective absorption gradients aligned to form the bulk absorber. In one embodiment, the coated sheets are constructed by lengthwise feeding the dielectric material through a sputtering region and interposing a partial mask between the sputtering material and the face of the dielectric material. The contour of an edge of the mask, the sputtering rate and feed rate determine the resulting absorption gradient of the coated dielectric material. In another embodiment, a dipping process is used to coat each sheet with radiation absorbing material.

Abstract: A bulk RF absorber and a method for constructing same. The absorber is composed of multiple sheets of a reticulated dielectric material, each sheet being coated with at least one layer of radiation absorbing material to create a radiation absorption gradient across a width dimension of the sheet. The sheets are stacked with their respective absorption gradients aligned to form the bulk absorber. In one embodiment, the coated sheets are constructed by lengthwise feeding the dielectric material through a sputtering region and interposing a partial mask between the sputtering material and the face of the dielectric material. The contour of an edge of the mask, the sputtering rate and feed rate determine the resulting absorption gradient of the coated dielectric material. In another embodiment, a dipping process is used to coat each sheet with radiation absorption material.