Study on the resistance performance of TiO2/cyanate ester nano-composites exposed to electron radiation

TiO2 nano-particles were incorporated into cyanate ester (CE) resin to form TiO2/CE nano-composites. The effects of electron radiation on CE resin and on TiO2/CE nano-composites were investigated in a ground-based simulator that simulates space radiation conditions. Compared with CE resin, the addition of TiO2 nano-particles to the CE resin increased the bend strength and it improved the toughness before and after the electron radiation. The electron radiation damage mainly occurred in the CE resin matrix. The electric discharging resulted in the ablation of the CE resin surface when the charges were cumulated to a certain extent. The results of the mass loss and infrared (IR) experiments indicated that the electron irradiation in high vacuum broke the surface chemical bonds and that a cross-linking process occurred in the surface layer. The results of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) showed that nano-TiO2 particles contribute a better resistance performance under 160-keV electron radiation.