Formation of Nanoscale Protrusions on Polymer Films after Atomic Oxygen Irradiation: Changes in Morphologies, Masses, and FT-IR Spectra.

ABSTRACT: Atomic oxygen (AO) is the main component of the residual atmosphere in a low Earth orbit. AO with a translational energy of 5 eV colliding with artificial satellites forms nano- and microscale protrusions on polymeric materials. This study investigated the influences of AO (fluence and velocity distribution) and a polymer's chemical structure on such surface morphologies. The correlations between samples' mass losses and positions in the irradiation field of an AO beam were analyzed with polyimide (Kapton) films, a standard reference material for AO fluence measurements. The characterizations of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) films were studied using gel permeation chromatography and X-ray diffraction. The sample surfaces were observed using a field emission sc

SUBMITTER: Goto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8945384 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature