Investigating Dual Electrospinning as a Means of Enhancing Passive Thermal Control Coatings for Cryogenic Propellant Storage in Extraterrestrial Environments

Passive thermal control is necessary as space exploration becomes
increasingly widespread. Materials with superior optical properties (high solar
reflectance and infrared emittance) are critical for passive thermal control because they
can reject most of the incident solar radiation and promote thermal emission from
cryogenic propellant storage tanks, enabling the extraterrestrial storage of cryogens. We
have demonstrated in previous studies that electrospun nanofibers exhibit exceptional
optical properties, offering significant benefits for passive radiative cooling in space.
Particularly, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene PVDF-HFP
nanofibers demonstrate exceptionally high solar reflectance (>99%) and strong thermal
emittance (measured at ~300 K). However, they exhibit nanostructural changes in the
presence of atomic oxygen, which is prevalent in Low Earth Orbit. This study focuses
on creating a unique blend of polymeric (PVDF-HFP) and ceramic-based (silica)
nanofibers by leveraging the chemical stability and atomic oxygen resistance of silica,
using the dual electrospinning manufacturing method. This approach aims to preserve
the structural properties of the polymeric counterpart without compromising its optical
performance, thereby providing an innovative method for manufacturing
environmentally resilient passive thermal control nanofibers with desirable optical and
thermal control functionalities for extraterrestrial storage of cryogenic propellants.