January 2022 Composites Blog
January 10, 2022
New Polyimide-Mica Nanocomposite Film offers High Resistance to Low-Earth-Orbit Environments
A double-layer nacre-inspired mica film, achieved by a research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Polyimide (PI) composite films are most commonly used to protect the external surfaces of spacecraft from the harsh environment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). However, the current PI films are inadequate in both mechanical properties and atomic oxygen resistance. A research team out of the University of Science and Technology of China has proposed a new double-layer structural design strategy and fabricated a PI based film that successfully improves both of the issues above. This new type of Polyimide-Mica may replace existing PI-based composite films used as protective aerospace material. This double-layer design has the potential to be used for future high-performance applications in a variety of different ways. Read more about it here.
