Optical studies of white organic materials for camouflage applications in Arctic environments

Abstract

Important properties for camouflage materials can be summarized in six criteria: (1) spectrally selective reflectance, (2) low gloss, (3) low degree of polarization, (4) low infrared emissivity, (5) non-destructive effect on radar properties and (6) color adaptivity. We have studied a collection of natural materials for potential use as camouflage surfaces for the arctic region. The four first camouflage criteria are analyzed using spectrometry, scatterometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry techniques. The materials involved in the study are diffuse white nature-inspired surfaces: Cuticles of the beetle Cyphochilus insulanus, and foams of freeze-casted cellulose nanofibrils. We present data that partly fulfills the addressed camouflage criteria. An adequate reflectance is achieved in the spectral range of 400–1600 nm for both samples. Scattering data show that near-Lambertian properties are achieved at 633 nm for both surfaces but at 1550 nm for only the beetle cuticle. The degree of polarization is low for unpolarized light incident near the surface normal for both surfaces.