A study of a simulated low Earth environment on the degradation of FEP polymer

✍ Scribed by Firas A. Rasoul; David J. T. Hill; Graeme A. George; James H. O'Donnell

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 317 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1042-7147
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1581(199801)9:1<24::aid-pat730>3.0.co;2-5

✦ Synopsis

Spacecraft flying in a low Earth orbit environment require thermal blankets to provide protection from direct solar heat from the sun. Fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer is one of the major components of these thermal blankets. In this study, the effect of a simulated low Earth orbit environment on FEP was investigated. UV and VUV degradation of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) copolymer was studied using ESR and XPS. The ESR study revealed the formation of a terminal polymer chain radical. The stability of this radical has been investigated under different environments. An XPS study of FEP film exposed to VUV and atomic oxygen showed that oxidation takes place on the polymer surface. The study revealed also that the percentage of CF 2 in the polymer surface decreased with exposure time and the percentage of CF, CF 3 and carbon attached to oxygen increased. SEM micrographs of FEP film exposed to VUV and atomic oxygen produced a rough surface with regular undulations similar to sand dunes.