Evaluations of Candidate Materials for Advanced Space-Rated Vacuum Seals to Explore Space Environment Exposure Limits

For many materials used in space hardware, the environment in which they need to operate is harsher than the environment on earth. Exposure to vacuum conditions, atomic oxygen, and ultraviolet radiation can be detrimental, so testing of space hardware in simulated space environments is required. This is especially true for elastomeric components such as seals. NASA is developing advanced space-rated vacuum seals in support of future space exploration missions. These seals must exhibit extremely low leak rates to ensure that astronauts have sufficient breathable air during extended-duration missions. In some applications the seals are not mated during portions of the mission and are left uncovered and exposed to the conditions in space for prolonged periods of time prior to mating. Space-rated vacuum seals are often made of silicone because of the material's wide operating temperature range and ability to be molded or extruded into various shapes and cross sections. One approach being considered to achieve improved performance is to add titanium dioxide to the silicone material to make it more resistant to damage from ultraviolet radiation. In this study, seals made of the baseline material with and without 1.5 percent titanium dioxide additive (by weight) were exposed to atomic oxygen and increasing levels of ultraviolet radiation and then leak tested. Test results revealed that seals made of the new material could withstand longer exposures while still satisfying the leak rate requirement even under worst-case conditions of partial compression at the extremes of the anticipated operating temperature range.