PREDICTIVE MODEL OF CARBON-BASED MATERIALS EROSION BY ATOMIC OXYGEN
A predictive model and a correlation to explain the results of hydrocarbon
polymer erosion in LEO have been extended to include fluorinated polymers
Erosion yield in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for selected fluorinated and fluorinated-chlorinated polymers
Erosion yield for a variety of hydrocarbon and fluorinated polymers in LEO environment.
The solid line represents the extended least squares fit to the experimental flight data.
* These results were rated as 2nd out of Top 10 Results from the Long Duration Exposure Facility
(Space Flight Environment Engineering Newsletter, 1995)
Full confirmation of these model and correlations has been received on Materials at International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) in the MISSE – PEACE polymers experiment from NASA Glenn Research Centre.
ITL provided the predictions of Erosion yield in LEO for all 42 tested polymers for this unique MISSE 2 PEACE Polymers studies, which had the widest variety of polymers flown in LEO for a long duration and was exposed to an unusually clean LEO spacecraft environment.
This experiment provides extremely valuable erosion yield data for spacecraft design purposes – in full agreement with ITL predictive values! The model, correlation and predictions have been originally developed for PURE polymers: therefore, only small correction has been indicated for industrial polymers with inorganic additives that do not react with AO.
CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITES EROSION IN LEO SPACE
For composites, due to their complex structure, the erosion yield can be significantly
different for short- and long-duration missions, and in both cases, it can be predicted based
on the proposed model. Using the proposed concepts, estimates and predictions of erosion
behavior can be made for various polymers and polymer-based composites, including untested and new materials.
Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy image of an epoxy-carbon fiber composite after prolonged LEO exposure on LDEF mission. The upper ply of the composite exposed to the space environment is seen strongly eroded. Notice the directionality of the erosion pattern.
Magnification x1,000
