Quantifying the Effects of Hyperthermal Atomic Oxygen and Thermal Fatigue Environments on Carbon Nanotube Sheets for Space-Based Applications

The effects of atomic oxygen and thermal fatigue on two different types of carbon nanotube sheets were studied. One set was treated with nitric acid, while the other set was left untreated. Monotonic tensile tests were performed before and after exposure to determine the effects of either exposure type on the sheets’ mechanical properties. Electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference measurements were recorded to determine the effects of AO-exposure and thermal cycling on the sheets’ electrical properties. Neither exposure type affected the sheets’ specific strengths. Both exposure types increased the sheets’ specific stiffnesses and decreased the sheets’ strains at failure. The electrical conductivity of both sheets decreased due to the different exposure types, while the EMI shielding effectiveness was unaffected. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe any changes in the sheets’ surface morphologies, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to determine the effects of AO on the sheets’ chemical makeup