Insidium
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Insidium
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Femtotech material developed for stealth operations. The technological cascade that led to insidium began with the various types of RAM (Radar Absorbent Material) developed before the
Interplanetary Period on Old Earth. RAM was originally limited to defending against radar detection, and that only in a few closely-related bands. Further developments led to RAM that could defend against multiple bands of radar and, much later, the incorporation of infrared insulation. The first transavant minds to attack the problem succeeded in creating the current material.
Insidium must be optimized for a specific radar band. The material will absorb about 99% of incoming radar energy in that band, 97% of the two closest sidebands and 93% of all other radar bands. The coating will also eliminate hot spots on the subject's surface by distributing heat over the entire surface area. The material has the added bonus of being non-reflective under visible, ultraviolet and x-ray light; it appears black in all three bands. Insidium can be enhanced to have a radiovoltaic effect (converting absorbed radar energy to electricity). This is often used to provide power for solid-state active cooling, thereby further reducing the subject's infrared signature.
The greatest drawback of insidium is its thickness. The material is too thick to be used on personal clothing (similar but less effective materials have been developed for this purpose). The primary use is on vehicle hulls or large vecs. Sapient theorists believe that the hull coating of a
Black Angel is a more refined technology that is based on
insidium.
