In-situ construction of Cr₂O₃@ATO hybrid pigment towards synergetic enhancement of visible light-infrared-radar compatible stealth

Multiband compatible stealth engineering with controllable visible light-infrared (VIS-IR) features and radar wave absorption is urgently needed to improve the survivability of advanced military equipment. Cr₂O₃ has good visible light stealth performance under green background, but it is lack of IR and radar multi-band stealth properties. Herein, a core-shelled Cr₂O₃@stannic antimony oxide (ATO) structure was developed to enhance the IR-radar compatible stealth properties of Cr₂O₃ by in-situ precipitation method, concurrently maintaining its visible light stealth property. The morphology, conductivity, and infrared stealth properties of the Cr₂O₃@ATO hybrids were influenced by the calcination temperature, and the IR and radar stealth performance were tunable by ATO content. The lowest emissivity of Cr₂O₃@ATO pigments is 0.852, reduced by 10% than pure Cr₂O₃. The Cr₂O₃@ATO filled silicone resin coatings possessed good thermal stability and IR stealth stability. Benefiting from the enhanced interfacial polarization and conductive loss, the Cr₂O₃@ATO exhibited an effective absorption bandwidth of 2 GHz in the X band, with respect to pure Cr₂O₃ without radar absorption property. The Cr₂O₃@ATO structure opens an avenue for advanced VIS-IR-Radar compatible stealth materials.