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VACUUM ›› 2026, Vol. 63 ›› Issue (2): 40-46.doi: 10.13385/j.cnki.vacuum.2026.02.06

• Vacuum Technology Application • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Degradation of ETFE Materials Induced by Atomic Oxygen and Ultraviolet Radiation Effects

TIAN Hai1,2, BA Dedong2, WANG Yi1,2, FENG Zhanzu2, LIU Qing2   

  1. 1. National Key Laboratory of Space Environment and Matter Behaviors, Lanzhou 730000, China;
    2. Lanzhou Institute of Physics, Lanzhou 730000, China
  • Received:2025-05-12 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-03-27

Abstract: The degradation properties of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) composites under the synergistic effects of atomic oxygen and ultraviolet radiation in low earth orbit were investigated through ground-based simulation experiments. The mass loss, surface topography and elemental composition changes of ETFE were measured and analyzed after exposure to varing cumulative fluxes of atomic oxygen (equivalent energy of 5 eV) and UV irradiation (wavelength range 200 - 400 nm). The results show that there are two stages in the process of material erosion: rapid mass loss due to chemical bond breaking and volatile products escaping at the beginning stage; A dense carbon rich layer forms on the later surface, delaying the penetration of atomic oxygen and UV photochemical reactions, and hence the rate of erosion is slowed. SEM analysis showed that the surface of the material changed from a smooth material structure to a rough material surface with gullies and holes after atomic oxygen and UV irradiation, and the light transmission disappeared. From XPS analysis, the main causes of erosion slowing were defluorination oxidation and carbon reconstruction, which showed a large reduction in the ratio of fluorine to carbon. The dynamic degradation rules of ETFE in LEO atomic oxygen and UV are revealed in this paper, which provide a theoretical basis for the lifetime assessment of ETFE materials and the design of space environment reliability.

Key words: ETFE, atomic oxygen, ultraviolet irradiation, degradation mechanism, space materials

CLC Number:  V416.5

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