Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Surface Modification Technologies for Durable Space Polymers

  • Technical Feature
  • Published:
MRS Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many polymers, paints, and organic-based materials exposed to the space environment undergo dramatic changes and irreversible degradation of physical and functional characteristics. While many protective approaches, including protective coatings and mechanical metal foil wrapping or cladding—especially for synthesized bulk materials, are used to reduce the effects of the space environment, the protection of such materials in space remains a major challenge, especially for future long-duration exploration missions or permanent space stations. In addition to the traditional approaches, surface modification processes are used increasingly to protect or to impart new properties to materials used in the space environment. This article presents a brief overview of the present situation in the field of surface modification of space materials. A number of surface modification solutions that differ from the traditional protective coating approaches are discussed that change the surface properties of treated materials, thus protecting them from the hazards of low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit environments or imparting new functional properties. Examples of their testing, characterization, and applications are provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. T.K. Minton, J.W. Seale, D.J. Garton, A.K. Frandsen, in Proceedings of ICPMSE-4, Protection of Space Materials from Space Environment, Toronto, 1–3 May 2002, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Space Technology Proceedings, J.I. Kleiman, R.C. Tennyson, Eds. (2001), Vol. 4, pp. 15–31.

  2. R.Z. Pascual, G.C. Schatz, D.J. Garton, in Proceedings of ICPMSE-6, Protection of Materials and Structures from the Space Environment, Toronto, 23–24 April 1998, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Space Technology Proceedings, J.I. Kleiman, Z.I. Iskanderova, Eds. (2003), Vol. 5, pp. 537–541.

  3. Z.A. Iskanderova, Yu. I. Gudimenko, J. Kleiman, R.C. Tennyson, J. Spacecr. Rockets 32 (5), 878 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  4. K.K. de Groh, B.A. Banks, C.E. McCarthy, R.N. Rucker, L.M. Roberts, L.A. Berger, High Perform. Polym. 20, 388 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  5. J.I. Kleiman, Z.A. Iskanderova, F.J. Perez, R.C. Tennyson, Surf. Coat. Technol. 76/77, 827 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  6. S. Packirisamy, D. Schwam, M.H. Lite, J. Mater. Sci. 30, 308 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  7. J.I. Kleiman “Materials for Space Applications,” in Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 851, M. Chipara, D.L. Edwards, R.S. Benson, Sh. Phillips, Eds. (Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA, 2005).

  8. W. Gissler, H.A. Jehn, Eds., Advanced Techniques for Surface Engineering (Kluwer Academic Publisher, NY, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  9. J.W. Connell, High Perform. Polym. 12, 43 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  10. A. Shepp, R. Haghighat, J. Lennhoff, P. Schuler, J. Connell, T.S. Clark, J. Vaughn, J. Swiener, in Protection of Materials and Structures in LEO Space Environment, J. Kleiman, R.C. Tennyson, Eds. (Kluwer Academic Publishers, NY, 1999), pp. 235–254.

  11. P. Schuler, H.B. Mojazza, R. Haghighat, High Perform. Polym. 12, 113 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  12. I. Vilgor, in Adhesives, Sealants, and Coatings for Harsh Environments, L.-H. Lee, Eds. (Plenum Press, NY, 1987), pp. 249–264.

  13. S. Oldham, W.E. Elias, S.J. Bigus, T.S.Y. Lan, U.S. Patent 4,874,643 (October 1989).

  14. S. Oldham, Proc. EOIM-3BMDO Experiment Workshop, Arcadia, CA (1993).

  15. D.G. Gilmore, Ed., Satellite Thermal Control Handbook (The Aerospace Corp. Press, CA, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  16. A. Tribble, The Space Environment. Implication for Spacecraft Design (Princeton University Press, NJ, 1995).

    Google Scholar 

  17. A.S. Levine, Ed., 1991–1995: LDEF—69 Months in Space: First Post-Retrieval Symposium, NASA CP 3134, Part 2 (1991).

  18. A.S. Levine, Second Post-Retrieval Symposium, NASA CP 3194, Part 3 (1993).

  19. A.S. Levine, Third Post-Retrieval Symposium, NASA CP 3275, Part 3 (1995).

  20. A.S. Levine, Proc. EOIM-3 BMDO Experiment Workshop, 22–23 June 1993, Arcadia, California.

  21. R.C. Tennyson, G.E. Mabson, W.D. Morison, J. Kleiman, Proc. Materials in a Space Environment Symposium, Toulouse, France (September 1991), pp. 93–110.

  22. B. Banks, C. Lamoreaux, 24 SAMPE Technical Conference (1992), Vol. 24, pp. T175–T173.

  23. J. Grieser, A. Freeland, J. Fink, G. Meinke, E. Hildreth, SPIE 1330, 102 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  24. M.R. Wertheimer, H.P. Schreiber, U.S. Patent 5,424,131 (June 13, 1995).

  25. G. Ceremuszkin, M.R. Wertheimer, J. Cerny, J.E. Klemberg-Sapieha, L. Martinu, in Protection of Materials and Structures from LEO Space Environment (Kluwer Academic Publishers, NY, 1999), pp. 139–153.

  26. M.J. Mirtich, J. Sovey, B. Banks, U.S. Patent 4,560,577 (December 24, 1985).

  27. B. Banks, Sh. Rutledge, M.R. Cales, in LDEF —69 Months in Space, 3rd Post-Retrieval Symposium, NASA CP 3275, A. Levin, Ed., pp. 51–64.

  28. A. Lepore, Tr.H. Wong, S.L. Marr, L.J. Amore, U.S. Patent 5,373,305 (December 13, 1994).

  29. M. Hanichak, M.M. Finckenor, in 28th Intern. SAMPE Techn. Conf. 28, 1148 (1996).

  30. M.E. Berendt, L.G. Rado, in 24th Intern. SAMPE Technical Conf. 24, T201 (1992).

  31. Y. Goudimenko, J.I. Kleiman, G.R. Cool, Z. Iskanderova, R.C. Tennyson, U.S. Patent 5,948,484 (September 7, 1999).

  32. Y. Goudimenko, Z. Iskanderova, J. Kleiman, G.R. Cool, D. Morison, R.C. Tennyson, “Materials in Space Environment,” in Proc. 7th Intern. Symp., Toulouse, France (1997), pp. 403–410.

  33. J.I. Kleiman, Z.A. Iskanderova, Y.I. Gudimenko, W.D. Morison, R.C. Tennyson, Can. Aeronaut. Space J. 45 (2), 148 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Y. Gudimenko, R. Ng, J. Kleiman, Z. Iskanderova, P.C. Hughes, R.C. Tennyson, D. Milligan, in Proc. 6th International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment –ICPMSE-6, J. Kleiman, Z. Iskanderova, Eds., Toronto, 1–3 May 2002, pp. 419–434.

  35. A. Banks, AIAA, Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, and DGLR, International Electric Propulsion Conference, 15th, Las Vegas, NV, 21–23 April 1981.

  36. Z. Iskanderova, J.I. Kleiman, Y. Goudimenko, G.R. Cool, R.C. Tennyson, U.S. Patent 5,683,757 (November 4, 1997).

  37. J. Kleiman, Z. Iskanderova, R.C. Tennyson, Adv. Mater. Processes 26 (April 1998).

  38. Z. Iskanderova, J.I. Kleiman, Y. Goudimenko, W.D. Morison, R.C. Tennyson, in Protection of Materials and Structures in LEO Space Environment, J.I. Kleiman, R.C. Tennyson, Eds. (Kluwer Academic Publishers, NY, 1999), pp. 225–234.

  39. Z. Iskanderova, J. Kleiman, Y. Gudimenko, W.D. Morison, R.C. Tennyson, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B127/128, 702 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Z. Iskanderova, J. Kleiman, W.D. Morison, R.C. Tennyson, Mater. Chem. Phys. 54, 91 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  41. F. Coopmans, B. Roland, SPIE Proc. 631, 34 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  42. M. Strobel, C.S. Lyons, K.L. Mittal, Eds., Plasma Surface Modification of Polymers: Relevance to Adhesion (VSP, The Netherlands, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  43. J.A. Dever, E.J. Bruckner, E. Rodriguez, “Synergistic Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation, Thermal Cycling and Atomic Oxygen on Altered and Coated Kapton Surfaces” (AIAA paper 92-0794, 1992), pp. 1–9.

  44. Y. Gudimenko, R. Ng, J.I. Kleiman, Z.A. Iskanderova, R.C. Tennyson, P.C. Hughes, D. Milligan, A. Grigorevski, M. Shuiski, L. Kiseleva, D. Edwards, M. Finckenor, in Proc. 9th International Symposium on Materials in a Space Environment (Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 16–20 June 2003), pp. 95–106.

  45. Z. Iskanderova, J. Kleiman, B. Mojazza, M. Sutton, in Proc. 9th Symposium on Materials in a Space Environment (Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 16–20 June 2003), pp. 473–478.

  46. R.M. Oliveira, J.A.N. Gonçalves, M. Ueda, G. Silva, K. Baba, in Proc. 9th International Conference on the Protection of Materials in a Space Environment, ICPMSE-9 (Toronto, Canada, 20–23 May 2008), AIP Conference Proceedings 1087, J.I. Kleiman, Ed., 2009, pp. 357–367.

  47. M. Ueda, W.K. Takahashi, A.R. Marcondes, I.H. Tan, G. Silva, in Proc. 9th International Conference on the Protection of Materials in a Space Environment, ICPMSE-9 (Toronto, Canada, 20–23 May 2008), AIP Conference Proceedings 1087, J.I. Kleiman, Ed., 2009, pp. 691–703.

  48. B. Banks, in Handbook of Ion beam Processing Technology, J.J. Cuomo, S.M. Rossnagel, H.R. Kaufman, Eds. (Noyes Publications, NJ, 1994), p. 338.

  49. M.J. Mirtich, J.S. Sovey, 25th National Vacuum Symposium, NASA TM-79004, San Francisco, CA, 28 November–1 December 1978.

  50. Z.W. Kowalski, J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 7, 845 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  51. B.A. Banks, J.S. Sovey, T.B. Miller, K.S. Crandall, presented at the 8th International Conference on Electron and Ion Beam Science and Technology, NASA TM-78888, Seattle, WA, 21–26 May 1978.

  52. M.J. Mirtich, J.S. Sovey, presented at the 24th National Vacuum Symposium, AVS, NASA TM-73778, Boston, MA, 8–11 November 1977.

  53. J.I. Kleiman, O. Popov, A. Tong, D. Molenda, in Proc. ICPMSE-3 Conference, 25–26 April 1996 (Kluwer Academic Publishers, NY, 1999), pp. 167–177.

  54. J.I. Kleiman, Y. Gudimenko, 7th Intl. Symp. Mater. Space Env., ENSAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse, France, 16–20 June 1997, pp. 419–425.

  55. Z. Iskanderova, J.I. Kleiman, V. Issoupov, F. Bussieres, in Proc. 9th International Con -ference, Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment (Toronto, Canada, 20–23 May 2008), AIP Conference Proceedings 1087, J.I. Kleiman, Ed., 2009, pp. 588–599.

  56. Z. Iskanderova, J.I. Kleiman, F. Bussieres, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/458,486 (2009).

  57. W. Luther (Ed.), “Applications of Nanotechnology in Space Developments and Systems: Technological Analysis,” Future Technologies Division of VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure), April 2003.

  58. J. Chen, R. Ramasubramaniam, H. Liu, in “Materials for Space Applications,” in Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 851, M. Chipara, D.L. Edwards, R.S. Benson, S. Phillips, Eds. (Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA, 2005).

  59. J.I. Kleiman, “Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering,” in Materials Technology, R. Blockley, W. Shyy, Eds. (Wiley, NY, 2010).

    Google Scholar 

  60. J.I. Kleiman, Z. Iskanderova, J. Antoniazzi, in Proceedings of the 11th ISMSE-11 (Aix-en-Provence, France, CNES-ESA-ONERA, 2009).

Download references

Authors
  1. J. I. Kleiman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kleiman, J.I. Surface Modification Technologies for Durable Space Polymers. MRS Bulletin 35, 55–65 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2010.617

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2010.617

Search

Navigation