Atomic oxygen exposure effect on carbon nanotubes/epoxy composites for space systems. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parkhomenko, I.N.; Vlasukova, L.A.; Parfimovich, I.D.; Komarov, F.F.; Novikov, L.S.; Chernik, V.N.; Zhigulin, D.V.
• Is Part Of: Acta astronautica. Volume 204(2023)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 131
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Epoxy resin -- Carbon nanotubes -- Atomic oxygen -- Mass loss -- Reflectance -- EMI shielding; Astronautics -- Periodicals; Outer space -- Exploration -- Periodicals; Astronautics; Periodicals; 629.405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.12.046
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-5765

Abstract

Abstract: Structural, optical and EMI shielding properties of epoxy resin reinforced with carbon nanotubes fillers "Taunit-M" and "Taunit-MD" have been studied. To estimate the resistance of nanocomposites operating in low-Earth orbits, the samples were exposed to atomic oxygen (AO) in the fluence range of (1.7–30) × 10 20 cm −2 . AO exposure results in mass loss of epoxy resin with carbon fillers: the erosion yields ( R m ) are 1.07 × 10 −23 g/atom and 1.21 × 10 −23 g/atom for "Taunit-M″ and "Taunit-MD", respectively. Diffuse and specular reflectance noticeably decreases after AO exposure which in their turn leads to increase of solar absorptance from 0.940 to 0.996 for "Taunit-M″ and from 0.944 to 0.992 for "Taunit-MD". AO exposure also results in reduction of EMI shielding effectiveness from ∼5 dB to ∼4.2 dB and ∼4.96 dB for epoxy resin with "Taunit-M″ and "Taunit-MD", respectively, in the frequency range of 8.2–12.4 GHz (X-band) at room temperature. Highlights: Mass loss due to atomic oxygen exposure is larger for filler with longer CNTs. Degradation of shielding efficiency is greater for filler with shorter CNTs. Solar absorptance of epoxy resin filled with CNTs increases after AO exposure.