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Sputtered coatings for protection of spacecraft polymersKapton polyimide oxidizes at significant rates (4.3x10(-24) gram/incident oxygen atom) when exposed in low Earth orbit to the ram atomic oxygen flux. Ion beam sputter deposited thin films of Al2O3 and SiO2 as well as a codeposited mixture of predominantly SiO2 with a small amount of polytetrafluoroethylene were evaluated and found to be effective in protecting Kapton from oxidation in both laboratory plasma ashing tests as well as in space on board shuttle flight STS-8. A protective film of or = 96 percent SiO2 and or = 4 percent polytetrafluoroethylene was found to be very flexible compared to the pure metal oxide coatings and resulted in mass loss rates that were 0.2 percent of that of the unprotected Kapton. The optical properties of Kapton for wavelengths investigated between 0.33 and 2.2 microns were not significantly altered by the presence of the coatings or changed by exposure of the coated Kapton to the low Earth orbital ram environment.
Document ID
19840018735
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Banks, B. A. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Mirtich, M. J. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Rutledge, S. K. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Swec, D. M. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
September 4, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1983
Subject Category
Nonmetallic Materials
Report/Patent Number
NASA-TM-83706
NAS 1.15:83706
E-2092
Meeting Information
Meeting: Intern. Conf. on Met. Coatings
Location: San Diego, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: April 9, 1984
End Date: April 13, 1984
Sponsors: Am. Vacuum Soc.
Accession Number
84N26803
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 506-55-72
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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