| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1714370 | Acta Astronautica | 2015 | 5 Pages |
•POSS–TiO2 organic–inorganic hybrid was synthesized and characterized.•The hybrid was incorporated into epoxy (EP) resin to form POSS–TiO2/EP nanocomposite.•The resistance to ultraviolet radiation of POSS–TiO2/EP was investigated.•The POSS–TiO2/EP exhibited excellent properties of anti-space ultraviolet radiation.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a severe space environmental factor, which is harmful to the durability of the polymeric materials of the spacecraft. For this reason, a novel POSS–TiO2/EP nanocomposite was synthesized by incorporating the POSS–TiO2 organic–inorganic hybrid into the epoxy (EP) resin. The effects of UV radiation on EP resin and on POSS–TiO2/EP nanocomposites were investigated in a ground-based simulator that simulates space radiation conditions. Compared with EP resin, the value of bend strength for 5.0 wt% POSS–TiO2/EP varied in a small range before and after UV radiation. Meanwhile, a typical tough feature was observed from the SEM photo for POSS–TiO2/EP nanocomposite after UV exposure. This result indicated that the POSS–TiO2/EP exhibited the excellent properties of anti-space ultraviolet radiation. The thermo gravimetric (TG) results showed that the addition of POSS–TiO2 improved the thermal-stability of EP resin matrix. The synthesized nanocomposites in this work could be used in the satellites to enhance their adaptability to the space environment and extend their service life.
