Technologies and Research

Space Environment Simulation

• Atomic oxygen durability testing
• Ultraviolet durability testing
• Lunar dust adhesion testing
• Mars atmosphere chemistry interaction testing
• Thermal cycling durability testing
• Synergistic low Earth orbital durability testing
• Contamination evaluation
• Low temperature electronics performance evaluation

Space Experimentation

• Materials International Space Station Experiment, MISSE

Atomic Oxygen

• Atomic oxygen cleaning of material surfaces
• Restoration of soot and fire damaged paintings and art objects
• Surface chemical cleaning and morphology modification of polymer surfaces for improved bonding
• Biofilm retardation and sterilization

Surface Texturing of Materials

• Improved heat transfer for space power system radiator surfaces
• Increased cellular attachment and fixation to implants
• Surfaces for enhanced cell culturing
• Increased diffuse light transmittance
• Uniform fiber optic illumination
• Alteration of wettability
• Reduced friction surfaces for elastomers
• Increased solar absorptance
• Increased thermal emittance
• Improved adhesive bonding of polymers, metals, and composites
• Improved paintability
• Catalytic surfaces
• High emittance heat receiver and radiator surfaces

High Performance Power Materials

• High electrical conductivity composites
• Electromagnetic interference shielding
• Lightweight substitutes for aluminum electronics enclosures
• Arc proof solar array surfaces
• High emittance heat receiver and radiator surfaces

Optical and Thermal Property Measurement

• Solar absorptance measurement
• Thermal emittance measurement
• Specular, diffuse, and total spectral transmittance, reflectance and absorptance
• Measurements in ultraviolet, visible, near infra-red and infra-red

Coatings

• Thin film coatings
• Coating processing and optimization
• Arc-proof solar array surfaces
• Atomic oxygen durability / protection
• Optical property alteration
• Thermal control surfaces
• Improved abrasion resistance
• Increased water repelling
• Anti-fogging
• Wear resistance
• Chemical barriers
• Oxygen barriers over polymers
• Moisture barriers over polymers
• Dry film lubrication
• Controlled surface conductivity
• High infrared transmittance
• Ultraviolet light absorption
• Antimicrobial surfaces
• Thermal spray and plasma spray-physical vapor deposition of coatings
  • Lamellar and columnar structures for material protection
  • Non-line of sight processing
• High strain-to-failure mixed fluoropolymer and metal oxide films
• Development of thermal and environmental barrier coatings for extreme environments
• Design of experiments for optimal microstructure and chemistry
  • PS-PVD Thermal Barrier Coatings

Aerospace Environment Testing

• High temperature oxidation of materials in steam and air
• Thermal gradient testing and characterization
• References
  • Environmental barrier coating oxidation and adhesion strength
  • 3D printable alloy designed for extreme environments

Theoretical Modeling

• Density functional theory
• Molecular dynamics
• Machine learning
• Empirical modeling
• Applications
  • High-temperature thermodynamic properties^{1, 2}
  • Harmonic and anharmonic phonon calculations³
  • Electronic density of states
  • Crystal orbital Hamilton populations⁴
  • Interatomic potential development
  • Color analysis of polymer aging
  • Life modeling for ceramic and polymeric materials
• References:
  1. Thermodynamics of high-temperature aluminum, zirconium, and yttrium hydroxide and oxyhydroxide vapor species
  2. Thermodynamics of the Lu2O3 – SiO2 system and comparison to other rare earth silicates
  3. An Ensemble Neural Network Model for Predicting Rare-Earth Oxide and Silicate Heat Capacities at High Temperature
  4. Influence of Cation Species on Thermal Expansion of Y2Si2O7–Gd2Si2O7 Solid Solutions