Date of Award
1-1-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Engineering Science
First Advisor
Ahmed Al-Ostaz
Second Advisor
Hunain Alkhateb
Third Advisor
Matteo D'Alessio
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
As humanity continues to push the boundaries of exploration beyond Earth, the need to develop materials that can withstand this harsh environment increases. Two types of materials were exposed to the low earth orbit (LEO) space environment on the International Space Station (ISS) for one year: (1) polyimide composites enhanced with polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane (POSS) and (2) polyetherimide-graphene nanoplatelet (PEI-GNP) composites. Both exposed and non-exposed samples were characterized and compared, and the mass loss was calculated. The effects of the LEO environment, particularly atomic oxygen (AO), were investigated. X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and digital microscopy confirmed the formation of an SiO2 passivation layer on the polyimide-POSS composites in response to AO exposure. The mass loss was significantly reduced as the concentration of POSS increased. The mass loss was less in the PEI-GNP composites than for that of the PI-POSS composites except for the highest concentration. Thermal stability was investigated with Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and exposure to the space environment did not affect the thermal stability of any of the manufactured composites.
Recommended Citation
Rushing, Grace, "Optimizing the Performance of Polyimide and Polyetherimide Nanocomposites Against Atomic Oxygen Attack and/or Hypervelocity Impact" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2866.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2866