Formation of Nanoscale Protrusions on Polymer Films after Atomic Oxygen Irradiation: Changes in Morphologies, Masses, and FT-IR Spectra

[Image: see text] Atomic oxygen (AO) is the main component of the residual atmosphere in a low Earth orbit. AO with a translational energy of 5 eV colliding with artificial satellites forms nano- and microscale protrusions on polymeric materials. This study investigated the influences of AO (fluence and velocity distribution) and a polymer’s chemical structure on such surface morphologies. The correlations between samples’ mass losses and positions in the irradiation field of an AO beam were analyzed with polyimide (Kapton) films, a standard reference material for AO fluence measurements. The characterizations of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) films were studied using gel permeation chromatography and X-ray diffraction. The sample surfaces were observed using a field emission scanning electron microscope. Nanoscale protrusions were formed on all the samples and were larger but fewer with increasing AO fluence. The numerical density of protrusions formed on PE and PP was lower than that on PS. However, the erosion yields and functional groups of PE, PP, and PS were similar per FT-IR spectra.