Effects of space plasma on an oxide coating of spacecraft's surface materials. Issue 3 (1st August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abdel-Aziz, Yehia A.; Abd El-Hameed, Afaf M.; Ismail, M.I.; Abo hashim, Laila; Ahmed, Ayman.; Elifiky, Dalia; Gregorio, Anna
• Is Part Of: Advances in space research. Volume 68:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 1601
• Page End: 1612
• Publication Date: 2021-08-01
• Subjects: Anodized aluminum samples (AASs) -- Anodic film coatings -- Ar plasma -- Bias voltage -- Charging/discharging -- Structural characteristics -- Morphology and optical analyses; Space sciences -- Periodicals; Astronautics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 500.505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2021.04.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0273-1177

Abstract

Highlights: Spacecraft charging and discharging phenomena are tested at N-SPI-U, NRIAG. Different thicknesses of anodic films are examined with different plasma conditions. Optical properties and morphology are investigated before and after plasma exposure. Abstract: The aim of this paper is to study the properties of the materials for spacecraft surfaces under the effects of simulated low Earth orbit (LEO) plasma environment to understand the effects of charging and discharging phenomena, which are known to take place when spacecraft is moving through space plasma in LEO. Anodized aluminum Al2 O3 samples were prepared using electrochemical techniques with different thicknesses to investigate the role of the Al2 O3 coating in the charging and discharging phenomena. Penning plasma source is used to generate plasma using Ar gas flowing through the vacuum chamber. The peak current and the voltage waveform associated with charging and discharging processes, when a negatively biased voltage is applied to the substrate, are discussed. The structural properties before and after plasma exposure are investigated through the morphology and optical analyses of the samples. Morphological analyses confirmed the significant contribution of space plasma in the variation of the crystalline structure, and sample characteristics are dependent on the value of the thickness. In addition, the results confirm the variation of optical properties and the microcrystalline structure over the surface of the anodic oxide film.