Polyimides are widely used as spacecraft external surfaces materials. They are exposed to atomic oxygen (AO), which is the main constituent of a residual atmosphere at low Earth orbit (LEO) and should be protected from the space harsh environment. This work presents an innovative approach to applying a protective coating on Kapton polyimide using liquid‐phase deposition (LPD) and shows its effectiveness in reduction of AO‐induced surface erosion.
Titania coatings, 100 nm thick, were deposited on Kapton films by LPD using an aqueous solution of a metal‐fluoride complex and boric acid at near ambient conditions. Adherent, crack‐free, coatings have been obtained by optimization of the deposition conditions, the substrate surface pre‐treatment procedure and post‐deposition drying. Characterization of the oxide coating included Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in tapping and nano‐indentation modes, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), and X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
The durability of the titania coating under AO attack was studied using a RF plasma based facility. Surface erosion was measured both gravimetrically and by in situ Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) measurements of mass loss. A dramatic reduction in the erosion of titania‐coated Kapton relative to uncoated Kapton was observed: the erosion yield was as low as 2% of that of uncoated Kapton after exposure to of LEO equivalent AO fluence. In addition, the surface hardness of coated Kapton was improved both in the as‐deposited titania coatings and in the AO‐exposed titania films.
Novel Approach to Space‐survivable Polyimides: Liquid Phase Deposition of Titania Coating on Kapton
PROTECTION OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES FROM SPACE ENVIRONMENT: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference: Protection of Materials and Structures From Space Environment ; 2008 ; Toronto (Canada)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 1087 , 1 ; 391-404
2009-01-05
14 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Novel Approach to Space-survivable Polyimides: Liquid Phase Deposition of Titania Coating on Kapton
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