The fabrication and evaluation of polyvinylidene fluoride-calcium carbonate composite coating for camouflage of targets in snowy environments

The detection of military and civilian targets in the snowy regions by enemy ultraviolet sensors has caused great loss of life and property damage in these areas during the war. This research is a way to reduce the enemy’s ultraviolet vision that its result is reducing loss of life and property damage. To reduce the enemy’s ultraviolet vision, it is necessary to be camouflaged military and civilian targets properly. For camouflage of these targets in the snowy environments, we should use coatings that have both the visible and ultraviolet reflectance similar to that of snow. The materials that have high visible and ultraviolet reflectance are usually in the powder form and need to be dispersed in a matrix. In this study, the polyvinylidene fluoride and calcium carbonate were used as a matrix and filler, respectively, to fabricate composite coatings. Assimilating of the spectral behavior of the composite coatings with snow was performed via the identification and optimization of the factors affecting the fabrication of them. The composite coating was prepared under optimal conditions (PVDF to DMF ratio; 5 %W/W, CaCO3 to PVDF+CaCO3 ratio; 50 %W/W, composite layer drying temperature; 35 oC and volume of liquid mixture for preparation of composite layer; 3ml) and then its reflection spectrum was compared with NATO snow camouflage coatings in both the visible and ultraviolet regions. The results showed that the reflection of the composite coating produced is in the range covered by NATO standard snow camouflage coatings, and thus can be used as a camouflage coating to hide the military and civilian targets in the snowy environments.