PCT No. PCT / US95 / 09407 Sec. 371 Date Jan. 8, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Jan. 8, 1997 PCT Filed Jul. 11, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96 / 01912 PCT Pub. Date Jan. 25, 1996An article (130) comprising a non-conductive substrate (136), preferably of an environmentally degradeable character, having a thickness of an oxidizable metal coating (138) thereon, and optionally an oxidation enhancingly effective amount of a salt (140), e.g., from about 0.005 to about 25% by weight of salt, based on the weight of oxidizable metal, present on the oxidizable metal coating. Also disclosed is a related method of forming such article, comprising chemical vapor depositing the oxidizable metal coating on the substrate. When utilized in a form comprising fine-diameter substrate elements such as filaments, the resulting product may be usefully employed as an "evanescent" chaff. In the presence of atmospheric moisture, such evanescent chaff undergoes oxidization of the oxidizable metal coating so that the conductivity and radar absorbance / reflectance characteristics of the chaff transiently decays. The chaff may be packaged for use in a cartridge (120) or the chaff may be provided by precursor roving packages (204) which are cut to the desired dipole length by a suitable cutter device (200) for dissemination to the locus of use.