Degradation of spacecraftpolymer films on long exposure to atomic oxygen flows and vacuum ultraviolet radiation

1Shuvalov, VA, 1Tokmak, NA, 2Reznichenko, NP
1Institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine
2Institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
Kosm. nauka tehnol. 2015, 21 ;(5):57–68
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2015.05.057
Publication Language: Russian
Abstract: 

The technique is developed for determining degradation of mass and geometric characteristics of polymer (polyimides kapton-H, PM-1E, Teflon FEP and polyethylene) films that are being used as spacecraft structural elements on long exposure to supersonic flows of atomic oxygen and vacuum ultraviolet radiation. The threshold values of the relation between the energy flow of ultraviolet radiation and the atomic oxygen flow are established at generation of the synergetic effect of losses in masses of polymer films kapton-H, PM-1E and polyethylene. The synergetic effect is not found in Teflon FEP.

Keywords: atomic oxygen, degradation, polymer, spacecraft, synergistic effect., vacuum ultraviolet radiation
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