Loading patent…
AssigneeAdvanced Technology Materials, Inc.
InventorsWard C. Stevens, Edward A. Sturm, Bruce C. Roman
Estimating the term…
An article comprising a non-conductive substrate having a sub-micron thickness of a sulfur-doped oxidizable metal coating thereon. Optionally, the sulfur-doped oxidizable metal-coated substrate may be further coated with (i) a promoter metal which is galvanically effective to promote the corrosion of the oxidizable metal, discontinuously coated on the oxidizable metal coating, and/or (ii) a salt, to accelerate the galvanic corrosion reaction by which the oxidizable metal coating is oxidized. When utilized in a form comprising fine diameter substrate elements such as glass or ceramic filaments, the resulting product may usefully be employed as an evanescent chaff. In the presence of atmospheric moisture, such evanescent chaff undergoes oxidation of the oxidizable metal coating so that the radar signature of the chaff transiently decays.
An article comprising a substrate element formed of a non-conductive material and having a sub-micron thickness of a sulfurized oxidizable conductive metal coating thereon comprising an unoxidized metal coating doped with from about 0.01 to about 35% by weight, based on the weight of unoxidized metal in the oxidizable metal coating of a reactive sulfur constituent by exposure of said unoxidized metal coating to a sulfur doping agent, to provide said doped sulfur constituent on said unoxidized metal coating, such that the sulfur constituent is (i) non-protective of the unoxidized metal coating in exposure to oxygen and/or moisture, and (ii) effective to promote the corrosion of the unoxidized metal when the article is exposed to atmospheric exposure conditions so that the unoxidized metal coating is oxidatively converted to a non-conductive metal oxide coating, at a corrosion rate which is greater than the corrosion rate of a corresponding article lacking such doped sulfur constituent on the unoxidized metal coating.
A chaff article comprising a non-conductive fiber substrate having coated thereon a sub-micron thickness of a sulfurized oxidizable conductive metal coating comprising an unoxidized metal coating doped with from about 0.01 to about 35% by weight, based on the weight of unoxidized metal in the oxidizable metal coating of a reactive sulfur constituent by exposure of said unoxidized metal coating to a gaseous sulfide doping agent to provide said doped sulfur constituent on said unoxidized metal coating, such that the sulphur constituent is (i) non-protective of the unoxidized metal coating in exposure to oxygen and/or moisture, and (ii) effective to promote the corrosion of the unoxidized metal when the article is exposed to atmospheric exposure conditions so that the unoxidized metal coating is oxidatively converted to a non-conductive metal oxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.