Methodology for developing texture in simulants

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a simulant and method relating to producing a simulant. For example, a simulant of a textured target threat includes a background material associated with a background attenuation, and a texture component(s) dispersed in the background material and associated with a component attenuation and a component characteristic. The component characteristic prevents the component attenuation of the texture component from being homogeneously dispersed throughout the background attenuation of the background material, to cause the simulant to mimic an aspect(s) of an X-ray signature of the textured target threat.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A simulant of a textured target threat, comprising:
 a background material associated with a background attenuation; and   a first texture component dispersed in the background material and associated with a first component attenuation and a first component characteristic;   wherein the first component characteristic prevents the first component attenuation of the first texture component from being homogeneously dispersed throughout the background attenuation of the background material, to cause the simulant to mimic a first aspect of an X-ray signature of the textured target threat.   
     
     
         2 . The simulant of  claim 1 , further comprising a second texture component dispersed in the background material and associated with a second component attenuation and a second component characteristic, wherein the second component characteristic prevents the second component attenuation of the second texture component from being homogeneously dispersed throughout the background attenuation of the background material, to cause the simulant to mimic a second aspect of an X-ray signature of the textured target threat. 
     
     
         3 . The simulant of  claim 2 , wherein dispersion of at least one of the first texture component or the second texture component causes the simulant to have a spatially variant texture profile. 
     
     
         4 . The simulant of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first component attenuation or the second component attenuation is higher than the background attenuation. 
     
     
         5 . The simulant of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first component attenuation or the second component attenuation is lower than the background attenuation. 
     
     
         6 . The simulant of  claim 1 , wherein the first component characteristic is a first particle size distribution of the first texture component to provide the simulant with a range of particle sizes corresponding to the target threat. 
     
     
         7 . The simulant of  claim 6 , wherein the first particle size distribution corresponds to various particles sized less than or equal to 1 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The simulant of  claim 6 , wherein the simulant further comprises a second texture component associated with a second component characteristic corresponding to a second particle size distribution, and wherein the first particle size distribution corresponds to various particles sized less than or equal to 1 mm, and the second particle size distribution corresponds to various particles sized greater than 1 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The simulant of  claim 1 , wherein the first component characteristic is a first particle shape distribution of the first texture component to provide the simulant with a range of particle shapes corresponding to the target threat. 
     
     
         10 . The simulant of  claim 9 , wherein the first particle shape distribution corresponds to various substantially flake-shaped particles. 
     
     
         11 . The simulant of  claim 9 , wherein the simulant further comprises a second texture component associated with a second component characteristic corresponding to a second particle shape distribution, and wherein the first particle shape distribution corresponds to various substantially flake-shaped particles, and the second particle shape distribution corresponds to various substantially non-flake-shaped particles. 
     
     
         12 . The simulant of  claim 1 , wherein the background material has a morphology consistent with the textured target threat. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a simulant of a textured threat compound, comprising:
 formulating a background material associated with a background attenuation;   formulating a first texture component associated with a first component attenuation and a first component characteristic based on mechanically separating the first texture component according to the first component characteristic; and   dispersing, in the background material, the first texture component;   wherein the first component characteristic enables dispersion of the first texture component in the background material of the simulant to mimic a first aspect of an X-ray signature of the textured target threat.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein mechanically separating the first texture component comprises obtaining continuously varying particles of the first texture component to span a range of texture properties of the textured threat compound. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein mechanically separating the first texture component comprises sieving particles of the first texture according to a plurality of particle size bins. 
     
     
         16 . A method of producing a simulant of a textured threat compound, comprising:
 quantitatively characterizing a threat texture of the textured threat compound;   formulating a background material associated with a background attenuation;   formulating a first texture component associated with a first component attenuation and a first component characteristic;   dispersing, in the background material, the first texture component;   quantitatively characterizing a simulant texture of the simulant;   comparing the simulant texture to the threat texture; and   iteratively adjusting the first texture component to cause the simulant texture to match the threat texture.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein quantitatively characterizing the threat texture comprises:
 scan the textured threat compound to acquire at least one threat image;   identify background and texture components of the image;   characterize grayscale values of the background and texture components; and   identify a first component characteristic of the texture components.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein formulating the background material comprises developing a formulation to match a morphology and an X-ray properties of a background of the textured threat compound. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein formulating the first texture component comprises:
 developing a wax formulation exhibiting the first component attenuation to match a high-attenuation characteristic of a textured component of the textured threat compound;   melting and casting the wax formulation into a solid block;   mechanically separating the solid block into particles;   sieving the particles according to a plurality of particle size bins spanning a range of particle sizes of the high-attenuation characteristic of the textured component of the textured threat compound.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising formulating a second texture component and dispersing, in the background material, the second texture component, wherein formulating the second texture component comprises:
 developing an aggregate formulation exhibiting a second component attenuation to match a low-attenuation characteristic of a second textured component of the textured threat compound;   fuse the aggregate formulation by compression via vacuum suction fusion to achieve a semi-solid morphology of the aggregate formulation;   mechanically separating the solid block into particles;   sieving the particles according to a plurality of particle size bins spanning a range of particle sizes of the low-attenuation characteristic of the second textured component of the textured threat compound.