Thermal RADAR, also known as thermal imaging or thermography, provides infrared heat-based images. This kind of RADAR technology is frequently used in conjunction with cameras that record the images being generated. It works by detecting radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared radiation is emitted by almost everything. You can block thermal RADAR my modifying the heat signature of the object being blocked or by absorbing the heat generated by it in a couple of different ways.
Metals
If you're looking to absorb the heat and have access to aluminum sheets, there isn't a more ideal metal. Even in thin sheets, aluminum absorbs the heat generated by whatever object it's blocking. It does this because the material acts as an insulator and not as a heat conductor. Steel and steel-based alloys will absorb the heat but also conduct it at a higher temperature than aluminum, causing an object behind it to appear on thermal imaging devices.
Ambient Heat
Generating ambient heat or placing a heat-producing object near other heat sources is a cheaper way of blocking thermal RADAR. Because all objects produce varying levels of radiation and electromagnetic energy, thermal RADAR can easily identify them when they're placed by themselves. However, when they are placed near a larger heat source or in clusters, the objects become harder to detect. On the thermal device, heat-generating items will blend together, especially if they are operating at similar temperatures. This makes it harder for the thermal RADAR device to obtain an accurate and precise thermal reading on any one item in particular.
Thermal Image Disguising
Similar to using ambient heat to block thermal RADAR, you can also disguise a heat signature to make it appear as another kind of object or something irrelevant on the imaging device. By covering the heat-generating item with objects that operate at a lower temperature, the signature is broken up into a less-identifiable figure on the imaging device. This tactic is employed by military snipers when they want to evade thermal RADAR. By covering them up with brush and other materials, they break up the more obvious heat signature that a human generates when detected by thermal RADAR.
Specialty Material
Materials specially designed to reflect light and absorb heat can also block thermal RADAR. These materials, often used in home insulation, can be cut and resized to fit your needs. They typically are opaque on one side and mirrored on another. Although not as effective as aluminum, they also absorb heat, but the added benefit is they also actively reflect the RADAR waves away from the heat source.
Tags: absorb heat, block thermal, heat signature, thermal RADAR, thermal RADAR, when they