This proposed program will demonstrate feasibility of a cost-effective, rapid, new, radiation & atomic oxygen (AO) resistant white or highly conductive thermooptical black cationic coating technology for protecting high strength organic (PBO, PE etc.) or metallic (Aluminum, etc.) space tethers fibers from the severe low earth orbit space environment. Currently considered atomic oxygen resistant phosphine oxide arylene ether backbone containing thermoplastic candidate polymers in braided fibrous or solvent based coating forms are plagued with weight penalty, space off-gassing and tether fiber adhesion problems. These are inherent problems for high molecular weight thermoplastic polymers processed form environmentally unfriendly solvent based coatings. An innovative cationically cured polymer, known from LDEF experiments for itÃs minimal degradation during severe AO attack and low off gassing, has been newly formulated as a flexible and highly adherent solventless coating for organic and metallic tether fibers. Adhesion and offgassing problem prone solvents are not used in this cationic homopolymerization technique since monomer viscosity is very low. Recent tests show 66-75% more weight loss for TOR coating vs. AEROPLAS AOUV coating yet AEROPLAS coatings saw 20-40% more AO Fluence. Organic fibers coated with this new system also provide outstanding UV and wear resistance.
Potential Commercial Applications:The proposed process is cost effective (does away with the costs associated with toxic solvent removal and is far more advanced and robust than the prior cationic cure systems); rapid (minutes versus hours to cure); environmentally friendly; is a low even sub-ambient temperature process (for less molded in thermal stresses); is less expensive and less complicated; is amenable to large cable scale up with inexpensive tooling. The impact of the proposed concept is tremendous and can revolutionize the wire and cable protective coating industry. The rapid coating cure technology will find immediate application in Infrastructural, Automotive, Electronic, Aerospace and other industries where very long and complicated cable coating runs are required.
