NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20110024090: Evaluation of Charge Storage and Decay in Spacecraft Insulators

1 Pages·0.03 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Books and Reports
Evaluation of Charge after 5-megarad exposures to γ rays tivities marginally.
Storage and Decay in from cobalt-60. The experiments were This work was done by Arthur
designed to measure these properties Frederickson and Charles Benson of
Spacecraft Insulators
not under standard conditions pre- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
scribed for testing dielectrics in air but, and James Bockman of Langley
Two reports discuss methods for eval-
rather, under conditions approximating Research Center. To obtain copies of the
uating the magnitude of electrostatic
those in the intended spacecraft applica- reports, “Processes for Treating
charging that occurs in spacecraft
tions. The results of the experiments Spacecraft Insulators in Order To Prevent
dielectric materials (in particular, poly-
showed that the electrical resistivities of Excessive Dielectric Charging” and
imides) during prolonged exposure to
the insulations as determined under “Measurement of Charge Storage and
radiation in outer space. The reports
these conditions are greater, by a factor Leakage in Polyimides,” access the
describe experiments on the electrical
of roughly a thousand, than those deter- Technical Support Package (TSP) free
resistivities and charge-storage proper-
mined under the standard conditions on-line at www.nasatech.com.
ties of polyimide specimens in a dark,
and that the γ irradiation reduced resis- NPO-30482
evacuated environment, both before and
28 NASA Tech Briefs, January 2003