Viscoelastic characterization of polymers for deployable composite booms

•Viscoelastic properties of candidate polymers for deployable composite boom.•The prediction of relaxation in modulus of polymers in 1 and 2 year at room temperature.•The effect of free volume on the molecular rearrangement and relaxation.•The effect of carbon fiber on the viscoelastic properties of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAdvances in space research Vol. 67; no. 9; pp. 2727 - 2735
Main Authors Kang, Jin Ho, Hinkley, Jeffrey A., Gordon, Keith L., Thibeault, Sheila A., Bryant, Robert G., Fernandez, Juan M., Wilkie, W. Keats, Diaz Morales, Héctor E., Mcgruder, Donovan E., Peterson, Ray S., Brandenburg, Charlotte J., Hill, Evin L., Arcot, Nina R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier B.V 01.05.2021
Subjects
Deployable structure
Polymer
Relaxation
Viscoelastic
Relaxation
Polymer
Deployable structure
Viscoelastic
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Summary:•Viscoelastic properties of candidate polymers for deployable composite boom.•The prediction of relaxation in modulus of polymers in 1 and 2 year at room temperature.•The effect of free volume on the molecular rearrangement and relaxation.•The effect of carbon fiber on the viscoelastic properties of composite. Deployable space structures are being built from thin-walled fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials due to their high specific strength, high specific stiffness, and designed bistability. However, the inherent viscoelastic behavior of the resin matrix can cause dimensional instability when the composite is stored under strain. The extended time of stowage between assembly and deployment in space can result in performance degradation and in the worst case, mission failure. In this study, the viscoelastic properties of candidate commercial polymers consisting of difunctional and tetrafunctional epoxies and thermoplastic and thermosetting polyimides were evaluated for deployable boom structures of solar sails. Stress relaxation master curves of the candidate polymers were used to predict the relaxation that would occur in 1 year at room temperature under relatively low strains of about 0.1%. A bismaleimide (BMI) showed less stress relaxation (about 20%) than the baseline novolac epoxy (about 50%). Carbon fiber composites fabricated with the BMI resin showed a 44% improvement in resistance to relaxation compared to the baseline epoxy composite.
ISSN:0273-1177
1879-1948
DOI:10.1016/j.asr.2020.07.039