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The Use of Liquid Isopropyl Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide Gas Plasma to Biologically Decontaminate Spacecraft ElectronicsLegitimate concern exists regarding sending spacecraft and their associated hardware to solar system bodies where they could possibly contaminate the body's surface with terrestrial microorganisms. The NASA approved guidelines for sterilization as set forth in NPG 8020.12C, which is consistent with the biological contamination control objectives of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), recommends subjecting the spacecraft and its associated hardware to dry heat-a dry heat regimen that could potentially employ a temperature of 110(deg)C for up to 200 hours. Such a temperature exposure could prove detrimental to the spacecraft electronics. The stimulated growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in metallic interconnects and/or thermal degradation of organic materials composing much of the hardware could take place over a prolonged temperature regimen. Such detrimental phenomena would almost certainly compromise the integrity and reliability of the electronics. Investigation of sterilization procedures in the medical field suggests that hydrogen peroxide (H202) gas plasma (HPGP) technology can effectively function as an alternative to heat sterilization, especially for heat-sensitive items. Treatment with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in liquid form prior to exposure of the hardware to HPGP should also prove beneficial. Although IPA is not a sterilant, it is frequently used as a disinfectant because of its bactericidal properties. The use of IPA in electronics cleaning is widely recognized and has been utilized for many years with no adverse affects reported. In addition, IPA is the principal ingredient of the test fluid used in ionic contamination testers to assess the amount of ionic contamination found on the surfaces of printed wiring assemblies. This paper will set forth experimental data confirming the feasibility of the IPA/H202 approach to reach acceptable microbial reduction (MR) levels of spacecraft electronic hardware. In addition, a proposed process flow in which both IPA liquid and HPGP are utilized will be presented in Section 7.0.
Document ID
20070031813
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Bonner, J. K.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Tudryn, Carissa D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Choi, Sun J.
(Johnson and Johnson, Inc. Irvine, CA, United States)
Eulogio, Sebastian E.
(Johnson and Johnson, Inc. Irvine, CA, United States)
Roberts, Timothy J.
(Johnson and Johnson, Inc. Irvine, CA, United States)
Tudryn, Carissa D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
February 8, 2006
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Meeting Information
Meeting: APEX 2006
Location: Anaheim, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: February 8, 2006
End Date: February 10, 2006
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
microbial reduction
hydrogen peroxide sterilization
planetary protection

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