Advanced Baffle Materials Technology Development
Abstract
Optical sensors for strategic defense will require optical baffles to achieve adequate off-axis stray light rejection and pointing accuracy. Baffle materials must maintain their optical performance after exposure to both operational and threat environments. In addition, baffle materials must not introduce contamination which would compromise the system signal-to-noise performance or impair system mission readiness. Critical examination of failure mechanisms in current baffle materials are quite fragile and contribute to system contamination problems. Spire has developed technology to texture the substrate directly, thereby removing minute, fragile interfaces subject to mechanical failure. This program has demonstrated that ion beam texturing produces extremely dark surfaces which are immune to damage from ordinary handling. This technology allows control of surface texture feature size and hence the optical wavelength at which the surface absorbs. The USAMTL/Spire program has produced dramatic improvements in the reflectance of ion beam textured aluminum without compromising mechanical hardness. In simulated launch vibration tests, this material produced no detectable contamination on adjacent catcher plates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA247935
Entities
People
- B. W. Murray
- C. J. Vonbenken
- E. A. Johnson
- J. S. Wollam
- R. D. Evans
- W. D. Halverson