The effects of atomic oxygen on polyimide resin matrix composite containing nano-silicon dioxide

To improve the atomic oxygen (AO) resistant characteristics of spacecraft resin matrix composite, nano-silicon dioxide particles were filled into glass fiber/polyimide composite and atomic oxygen exposure experiments were conducted in a ground-based AO effects simulation facility. After the exposure experiment, the surface morphology and surface compositions of the samples were analyzed with SEM and XPS, respectively. The experimental results showed that the AO resistant characteristics of this new composite were improved remarkably; the mass loss and erosion yield fell distinctly. It proves that filling these nano-particles is an effective method to improve the AO resistant characteristics of the composite. The erosion yield of glass fiber/15SiO2/polyimide decreased to 16.4% after a 40-h exposure experiment.