Improvement of the atomic oxygen resistance of carbon fiber-reinforced cyanate ester composites modified by POSS-graphene-TiO2

Atomic oxygen (AO) in low Earth orbit (LEO) causes severe damages to the polymer materials used for the construction of spacecraft. To improve the AO resistance of cyanate ester (CE) which is ubiquitous in the space-structures, novel composites prepared by incorporating POSS, graphene and TiO2 (POSS-Graphene-TiO2, PGT) into CE matrix through a solution mixing method. The mass loss ratio of the resulting PGT/CE composites was significantly decreased in comparison to the pristine CE, which is due to the less surface damages. Chemical composition analysis shows that a surface passivation layer is formed on the PGT/CE composites upon exposure to the AO. Carbon fiber-reinforced PGT/CE composites (i.e., T700/PGT/CE) were fabricated. Compared with the T700/CE composite, the interlayer shear strength of the T700/PGT/CE composite was increased by 43% after the AO exposure. Our findings indicate that the PGT fillers contribute the improved AO resistance of the prepared carbon fiber/PGT/CE composites.