Characterization of selected LDEF-exposed polymeric films

The characterization of selected experimental and commercially available thin polymeric films which received 10 months of exposure to the LEO environment on the Long Duration Exposure Facility is reported. The visual appearance of most specimens changed due to exposure. However, except for a silicon-containing copolymer film, chemical characterization including infrared, thermal, and X-ray photoelectron analyses showed that the molecular structure of the surviving material had not changed significantly in response to exposure. Surface texturing due to atomic oxygen erosion was documented using various microscopic analyses. The possibility of continued post-exposure degradation of some polymeric materials is proposed.