UV Space Imager Enclosure Coating

The goal of this project is to reduce the amount of stray light entering an ultraviolet (UV) imager through absorption. This report outlines the use of ZnO nanoparticles mixed in an epoxy matrix for use in a CubeSat enclosure. Through testing, our team verified that the ZnO and epoxy coating experienced a peak absorption between 360-370 nm. The epoxy mixture with the .75% by weight ZnO nanoparticles absorbed up to 99.9 % of UV light at its peak. The effect on material properties, such as Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength, was also tested. Tensile tests demonstrated that adding ZnO nanoparticles to epoxy improved stiffness and ultimate tensile strength by up to 900% and 420% respectively. A visual test with a UV camera and 365 nm UV light source was used to assess the effect on image quality. To do this, a test enclosure that resembled a CubeSat enclosure was used. The test enclosure was coated internally with an epoxy coating that contained .75% by weight ZnO nanoparticles. A small improvement in the reduction of stray light was observed; however, more testing would be required to confirm if the results are statistically significant or not