The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Michael J Mirtich

James S Sovey

Bruce A Banks

Charalampus Marinos

Ralph J Zavesky

Paul F Penko

A polymeric substrate 10 is coated with a metal oxide film 22 to provide oxidation protection in low earth orbital environments. The film contains about four volume percent polymer to provide flexibility.

Oxidation protection coatings for polymers

An electrothermal thruster utilizes a generally cylindrical heat exchanger chamber. A textured, high emissivity heater element radiatively transfers heat to the inner wall of this chamber that is ion beam morphologically controlled for high absorptivity. This, in turn, raises the temperature of a porous heat exchanger material in an annular chamber surrounding the cylindrical chamber. Propellant gas flows through the annular chamber and is heated by the heat exchanger material.

Heat exchanger for electrothermal devices

A polymeric substrate 10 is coated with a metal oxide film 22 to provide oxidation protection in low earth orbital environments. The film contains about 4 volume percent polymer to provide flexibility. A coil of polymer material 30, 42 moves through an ion beam 14 as it is fed between reels. The ion beam first cleans the polymer material surface and then sputters the film material from a target 24 onto this surface.

Apparatus for producing oxidation protection coatings for polymers

A diamondlike carbon film is deposited in the surface of a substrate by exposing the surface to an argon ion beam containing a hydrocarbon. The current density in the ion beam is low during initial deposition of the film. Subsequent to this initial low current condition, the ion beam is increased to full power. At the same time a second argon ion beam is directed toward the surface of the substrate. The second ion beam has an energy level much greater than that of the ion beam containing the hydrocarbon. This addition of energy to the system increases mobility of the condensing atoms and serves to remove lesser bound atoms.

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North Olmsted, OH, United States of America

Michael J Mirtich