Durable and Flexible Oxidation Resistant Coatings Deposited Via Aerosol Impact Driven Assembly

Swift Coat is actively developing coatings for space-based applications including anti-reflective coatings for space-photovoltaic modules and anti-fog coatings for use in spacesuits and vehicles. As these coatings are often on exterior surfaces, Swift Coat has engineered them to be resistant to exposure to atomic oxygen. The work proposed in this project focuses on modifying elements of these existing coatings to not only be resistant to atomic oxygen themselves, but to also protect underlying sensitive substrates, specifically the woven carbon fabric canopy used as part of the Adaptive Deployable Entry Placement Technology platform. Over the course of this project, the investigators will produce a coating with the following properties: 1) Coated woven carbon fabric has 75% less rate of mass loss upon exposure to atomic oxygen when compared to uncoated fabric. 2) Coated woven carbon fabric maintains performance after abrasion, folding, thermocycling, exposure to high temperatures and general handling. 3) Coating can be applied to substates at least 0.5 m x 2 m with a path to expanding to much larger substrates in Phase II. In some missions, spacecraft equipped with the ADEPT platform will remain in orbit for extended periods of time. This presents a challenge for the ADEPT’s canopy which is composed of a novel multilayer woven carbon fabric. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environments are known to be highly oxidizing due to the presence of atomic oxygen (ATOX). ATOX reacts with the carbon fabric, degrading the material, which may result in failure when it is eventually deployed. One strategy to overcome ATOX-induced degradation is to add sacrificial layers to the multilayer woven carbon fabric. While potentially effective, the extra layers would result in an increase in the weight of the canopy, a decrease in the flexibility of the canopy, and an increase in fabrication complexity. An alternate approach to prevent ATOX-induced degradation is the use of oxidation-resistant coatings. Coatings composed of metal-oxide materials like SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 have been shown in both the laboratory and in practice to reduce or eliminate the effects of exposure to ATOX while not substantially increasing the weight of the

In some missions, spacecraft equipped with the ADEPT platform will remain in orbit for extended periods of time. This presents a challenge for the ADEPT’s canopy which is composed of a novel multilayer woven carbon fabric. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environments are known to be highly oxidizing due to the presence of atomic oxygen (ATOX). ATOX reacts with the carbon fabric, degrading the material, which may result in failure when it is eventually deployed. Coatings composed of metal-oxide materials like SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 have been shown in both the laboratory and in practice to reduce or eliminate the effects of exposure to ATOX while not substantially increasing the weight of the coated component. Photovoltaic modules used in space applications have many components that are sensitive to atomic oxygen exposure. A protective coating could significantly reduce manufacturing costs and increase reliability of space-power systems. Swift Coat is actively working with stakeholders to develop this product.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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