Thermal fatigue and hypothermal atomic oxygen exposure behavior of carbon nanotube wire Original Research Article

In low earth orbit (LEO), components of space systems are exposed to damaging hypothermal atomic oxygen and thermal fatigue. Carbon nanotube (CNT) wires are candidate materials for different applications in space systems. Thirty-yarn CNT wire’s behavior was evaluated when exposed to hypothermal atomic oxygen and thermal fatigue. CNT wire specimens were exposed to a nominal fluence of hypothermal atomic oxygen of 2 × 1020 atoms/cm2. The erosion rate due to hypothermal collision between atomic oxygen and CNT wires was calculated to be 2.64 × 10−25 cm3/atom, which is comparable to highly ordered pyrolytic graphite. The tensile strength of CNT wire was not affected by this exposure, and a minor reduction of electrical conductivity (2.5%) was found. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis showed erosion of surface layer with depleted carbon and increased oxygen. Thermal fatigue excursion of 5000 cycles from 70 to −50 °C at a rate of 55 °C/min showed no loss in tensile strength; however a large decrease in conductivity (18%) was seen. SEM analysis showed that the thermal fatigue created buckling of yarn and fracture of individual CNTs bundles. These reduced the effective area and electrical conductivity of CNT wire.