An oxygen plasma reactor operating at low pressure (3*10-2 torr) was used to reproduce within laboratory samples of an experimental atomic-oxygen-resistant polymide coating a degradation morphology and material mass loss similar to that obtained in low earth orbit. The coating, Kapton AOR92-1, was developed to be used as a flexible Kapton solar array blanket. Material erosion rates were measured as a function of flux and fluence and preliminary mechanical property data were obtained. The results indicate the material's suitability for the intended application. It demonstrated an erosion rate two orders of magnitude better than Kapton and is amenable to large-scale production.
Atomic-oxygen-resistant polymer for use in the low earth orbit
Gegen atomaren Sauerstoff beständiges Polymer für den Einsatz in niedrigen Erdumlaufbahnen
1989
5 Seiten, 4 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Atomic oxygen resistant coatings for low earth orbit space structures
Tema Archiv | 1995
|Low-Earth-Orbit Atomic Oxygen Erosion of Polymer Surfaces
Online Contents | 1998
|Low earth orbit atomic oxygen effects on surfaces
AIAA | 1984
|