	US 7,344,661 B2
	Electromagnetic energy adaptation material
Scott Allan Kuehl, 8 Palmyra Road, Herldervue, Somerset-West, 7135 (South Africa)
Appl. No. 10/433,954 PCT Filed Dec. 05, 2001, PCT No. PCT/IB01/02293 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jun. 09, 2003, PCT Pub. No. WO02/46285, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 13, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 2000/7284 (ZA), filed on Dec. 08, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2004/0048939 A1, Mar. 11, 2004
Int. Cl. F21V 9/00 (2006.01); G02B 5/22 (2006.01); B01F 2/04 (2006.01); B01F 17/00 (2006.01); C08J 9/04 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 252—582 [252/583; 516/10; 516/50]

4 Claims

1. A method of minimizing or altering detection, for military purposes by electromagnetic detection apparatus, of an object by means of an electromagnetic energy adaptation material, said method comprising at least one of the steps selected from the group consisting of:

(a) coating an object at least partially by means of an electromagnetic energy adaptation material; and

(b) coating a zone spaced away from such an object at least partially by means of an electromagnetic adaptation material;

said electromagnetic adaptation material comprises

a water-based foam constituted by a liquid-based mixture of at least one dipolar molecular liquid with at least one ionic surfactant and constituting a base agent adapted to at least partially neutralize the ionic surfactant;

said mixture adapted to being held in a container under a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure by an alkane emulsifiable gas and adapted to expand to form the water-based foam after being released from the container as a result of lower atmospheric pressure than the pressure in the container;

said alkane emulsifiable gas including at least one compound selected from the group comprising short-chained alkanes, ethane, butane, propane and mixtures thereof;

said water-based foam having a density of 30-126 kilograms per cubic meter;

said density of the water-based foam being determined by the amount of emulsifiable gas used to pressurize the mixture in the container;

said density determining the microwave and thermodynamic properties of the material;

said material having at least one characteristic selected from the group of characteristics consisting of being adapted to absorb electromagnetic energy, being adapted to alter the reflections of electromagnetic energy, and being adapted to emit electromagnetic energy;

said characteristic being a result of Debye relaxation and blackbody emissivity characteristics of the dipolar molecular liquid and a result of the intrinsic thermal conductivity of the water-based foam based on the density of the water based foam;

said dipolar molecular liquid being at least one compound selected from the group consisting of water, an alcohol, glycol and methanol; and

said electromagnetic energy detection apparatus being at least one selected from the group consisting of radar equipment, thermal detection apparatus and laser detection equipment.