Chapter 1 Space environment and its influemce on organic composite materials (Bibliographical Review)

1. Introduction

2. Space Vacuum

3. Temperature and Thermal Cycling

3.1 Delamination and Microcracing

3.2 Evolution of Physical Properties

4. Solar Illumination and Ultraviolet

5. Fluxes of Charged Particles

5.1 Damage Mechanisms

5.2 Effects od Charged Particles on Organic Composites

5.3 Evolution of Thermomechanical Properties

5.4 Synergetic Action of Charged Particles and Thermal Cycles

6. Atomic Oxygen with Hight Velocities

6.1 Presentation of Several Flight Experiments

6.2 Mechanisms of Interaction with Polymers

6.2.1 reflection of the oxygen atoms

6.2.2 oxidation of bombarded surfaces

6.2.3 emission of oxidation products

6.3 Influence of Chemical Composition and Density of Fibres

6.4 Evolution of Physical and Chemical Properties

7. Micrometeorites and Space Debris

8. Conclusion

Chapter 2 General Consideration of Polymeric Composite Materials (Object of Investigation)

1. Choice of Materials

1.1 Epoxy Matrices

1.2 Carbon Fibres

1.3 Fabrication of Composite Plaques

1.4 Post-curing Residual Deformations

2. Representation of Experimental Materials

Chapter 3 Experimental methods used for characterization of materials

1. Determination of Mechanical Characteristics

1.1 Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

1.1.1 general theory

1.1.2 instrumentation

1.1.3 presentation of results

1.1.4 a- and b- transitions of polymers

1.1.5 mathematical model of dynamic mechanical spectrometry

1.2 Linear Dilatometry

1.3 Microhardness

1.4 Measurements of Stress-strain Properties

2. Diffusion Analysis

3. Kinetic Trunk - Computerized System for Analysis and Statistical Simulation

4. Differaential Scanning Calorimetry

4.1 Instrumentation

4.2 General Theory

4.3 Interpretation of Typical DSC Results

5. IR- and UV- Spectrphotometry

Chapter 4 Behavoir of polymeric composite materials in the LEO space environment (Post-flight experiments)

1. Introduction

2. Gradient of Mechanical Characteristics Across the Thickness of Composite Laminates exposed to Outer Space

2.1 Generalities

2.2 Assymmetry of Mechanical Properties

2.3 Direct Characterization of Binder Properties

2.3.1 methodology for measuring microhardness

2.3.2 peculiarities of the microhardness index od epoxy binders

3. Influence of the LEO Environment on Morphology and Diffusion Properties

4. Influence of Shielding Upon the Morphology Resistance of Polymeric Composite Materials

5. Influence of Shielding Upon the Resistanse of Mechanical properties of Polymer Composite Materials

6. Spectrometrical Treatment and Analysis of Relaxation Effects in Epoxy Binders of Polymeric Composite Materials

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Peculiarities of Relaxation Processes in the Epoxy Binders

7. Methodologies for Forecastng of Basic Physical Parametres of Materials and Structures in the Space Environment

7.1 Calculation of Erosion Parametres for 15 years in the LEO

7.2 Long-time Effect on the Glass Transition Temperature of Epoxy Binders

7.3 Forecasting of Shear, flexible and stress-strain properties

8. Conclusion

Chapter 5 Behavoir of polymeric composite materials in a simulated LEO space environment (On-ground accelerated experiments)

1. Simulation of Atomic Oxygen Effect on the KMU-3L Composite Material

1.1 "Casoar" Simulation Facility

1.2 Experimental Conditions

1.3 Choice of Fluxes and Duration of the Exposures

1.4 Influence of Atomic Oxygen on Degradation of Materials

1.5 Prediction of Erosion Parametres for Long Terms

1.6 Evolution of Morphology of ther Surface

2. Diffusion Properties of the KMU-3L Composite Material

3. Simulated Effect of Space Radiation on the KMU-3L Composite Material

3.1 "Semiramis" Simulation Facility

3.2 Calculation of Equivalent doses and sun hours

3.3 Test Materials and Conditions

4. Presentation of General Properties of the KMU-3L after Irradiation Stages of Atomic Oxygen, UV and Protons

4.1 Degradation of Thermo-Optical Properties

4.2 Analysis of Viscoelastic Properties

5. Simulation of the Thermal Cycles Effect on the KMU-3L Matarial

6. Conclusion

Conclusion

Advantages of in-Flight Experiments

Advantages of Artifical Experiments

Future Work (Propositions for a Work at Onera-Toulouse/Desp for Proparation of the Ph.D. Degree in Physics)

Reference List (Principal Publications of 1995-1999)

References

Appendix