Reaction and Protection of Electrical Wire Insulators in Atomic-oxygen Environments

摘要: Atomic-oxygen erosion on spacecraft in low Earth orbit is an issue which becoming increasingly important because of the growing number that will fly orbits have high concentrations atomic oxygen. In this investigation, atomic-oxygen durability three types electrical wire insulation (carbon-based, fluoropolymer, and polysiloxane elastomer) were evaluated. These materials exposed to thermal-energy oxygen, was obtained by RF excitation air at a pressure 11-20 Pa. The effects exposure indicate all carbon-based erode about same rate as polyamide Kapton and, therefore, are not durable. However, fluoropolymers needs be evaluated case basis rates vary widely. For example, experimental data suggest formation fluorine during amorphous-fluorocarbon reactions. Dimethyl polysiloxanes (silicone) do lose mass exposure, but develop silica surfaces under tension frequently crack result loss methyl groups. if silicone sample properly pretreated provide certain roughness, oxygen resulted sturdy, non-cracked durable SiO2 layer. Since surface does such silicone-atomic reaction, crack-induced contamination can reduced or completely stopped. Therefore, with proper pretreatment, either material coating durability.