Replicated composite optics offer a route to manufacture precision mirrors for satellite applications in a fraction of time and with substantial cost and weight savings over conventional glass mirrors. However, the dimensional stability is a critical barrier to entry for utilizing these mirrors in UV/Vis space applications due to the organic nature of the optical surface and its susceptibly to environmentally-induced distortions that can cause deviations greater than SFE λ/20 (~32nm). Recently, advances in this technology have been achieved at The Aerospace Corporation by using UV cured replicating epoxy resins to produce replicated mirrors with relatively zero residual stress and high hygroscopic stability with RT processing. Elevated thermal stability, though, remains a critical issue as CTE mismatch between the composite and resin lead to residual stress formation which immediately degrades the optical quality and then causes further optical drift over time as stress relaxation occurs. In this paper, we demonstrate improved thermal stability of replicated mirrors by utilizing multiple replication layers where buried compliant layers accumulate residual stress and the top layer is an optimized high modulus resin that achieves a high-quality replication. As a result, thermal stresses incurred by elevated temperatures were reduced by more than 60% when measured via laser interferometry. Additionally, due to faster stress relaxation rates of the compliant layers, the CTE mismatch stress was removed in a matter of days versus years of a conventional single layer replication. This stack-up provides a route to mitigate stress and enhance replication stability.
As next-generation precision space-based telescopes require larger and lighter weight mirrors, replicated composite optics are gaining increased attention as a route to decrease weight, cost, and manufacturing time over conventional glass mirrors. Despite numerous advantages of the replication technique, optical stability remains an issue since the optical layer is organic and susceptible to environmentally induced dimensional distortions that can cause deviations greater than SFE λ/20 (~32nm) allowed for these applications. Therefore, studies must be performed to investigate optical stability, specifically as a function of time due to long mission lifetimes. In this study, we manufactured replicated composite mirror coupons using a UV-cured epoxy at RT as a function of photoinitiator (PI) concentration. Subsequently, we monitored the optical changes of these mirrors as a function of time by laser interferometry. Residual stress was shown to be the primary driver in predicting optical performance since the magnitude of the stress was shown to be inversely related to replication quality. Changes occurring due to stress relaxation were also shown to negatively impact optical quality over time. A model was developed to optimize the final quality of the replication by controlling key processing parameters, including resin cure state, CFRP laminate thickness, and CFRP fiber stiffness. This understanding led to the development of a high-humidity cycling protocol used to eliminate all processing stress-induced distortions. This method has permitted the stabilization of replications for long-term storage by accelerating the stress relaxation phenomena and removing the driving force for optical change; the non-zero residual stress.
Scintillation materials for the spectroscopic detection of gamma photons have been made of inorganic crystals, organic liquid and plastic scintillators. These scintillators are either expensive for large-area detection or incapable of gamma spectroscopy. We have reported the syntheses of transparent liquids and plastic nanocomposites comprising high loading of high-Z nanoparticles for gamma photoelectric generation and conjugated organic luminescent systems for visible photon generation. Hafnium oxide nanoparticles and cadmium zinc sulfide quantum dots were loaded into the organics up to 60 wt% via methacrylate-terminated surface functionalization. The liquid scintillator loaded with 40 wt% hafnium oxide nanoparticles demonstrated a light yield of 11699 photons/MeV with an energy resolution of 14.8% for 662 keV gamma. The 60 wt% CZS QD loaded plastic nanocomposite exhibited an optimized light yield of 9275 photons/MeV and produced a gamma photopeak. A radiation hardness study indicates that the loaded liquids and nanocomposites exhibits comparable hardness to the unloaded scintillators.
As next-generation space-based telescopes require larger mirrors, replicated composite optics are gaining increased attention due to limitations in scalability of conventional glass optics. Replication is the process of transferring an optical surface to a thin polymeric film supported by a CFRP substrate, offering weight savings, cost reductions, and faster manufacturing times. These optical surfaces require both dimensional precision (RMS < 32nm) and dimensional stability in a variety of environments. In our previous work, high quality replications were fabricated with UV-cured epoxy resin. Our work showed that the class of resin material as well as the processing route chosen had significant effects on the final stability of the composite optic. However, the fundamental material properties governing the behavior are not yet fully understood. In this paper, we will investigate how varying amounts of photoinitiator concentration on a UV-cured epoxy affect inherent material properties. The influence of these properties on the hygroscopic stability of the resin will be discussed.
Composite replicated mirrors are gaining increasing attention for space-based applications due to their lower density, tailorable mechanical properties, and rapid manufacturing times over state-of-the-art glass mirrors. Ultraviolet (UV)-cured mirrors provide a route by which high-quality mirrors can be manufactured at relatively low processing temperatures that minimize residual stresses. The successful utilization of these mirrors requires nanometer scale dimensional stability after both thermal cycling and hygrothermal exposure. We investigate the effect of gamma irradiation as a process to improve the stability of UV replicated mirrors. Gamma radiation exposure was shown to increase the cure state of these mirrors as evidenced by an increase in modulus, glass transition temperature, and the thermal degradation behavior with dosage. Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy also showed evidence of consumption of the primary monomers and initiation of the photosensitive agent with gamma exposure. The gamma-exposed mirrors exhibited significant improvement in stability even after multiple thermal cycling in comparison with nonirradiated composite mirrors. Though improvements in the cure state contribute to the overall stability, the radiation dosage was also shown to reduce the film stress of the mirror by over 80% as evidenced using Stoney replicated specimens. This reduction in residual stress is encouraging considering the utilization of these structures for space applications. This paper shows that replicated composite mirrors are a viable alternative to conventional optical structures.
Replicated lightweight composite mirrors are gaining increasing attention for space applications due to potential weight savings, cost reductions, and faster manufacturing times over traditional glass mirrors. However, dimensional stability remains one of the most critical issues for these resin-based high precision optics. Composite mirrors with a surface figure error (SFE) of 0.03λ were manufactured using a UV-cured replicated layer (RL). The effects of cure state and environmental exposure on the stability of the mirror were evaluated by measuring changes in SFE using interferometric imaging. Higher stability was observed for the replicated epoxy mirror that underwent a secondary cure, after the initial UV cure. SFE for these mirrors increased by only 5-nm (RMS) when exposed to 100% RH for 12 days. The mirrors that were UV cured alone under identical exposure conditions increased in SFE by over 500% of that value. The increased hygroscopic stability is consistent with a reduced amount of unreacted polar epoxide groups that can hydrogen bond with absorbed moisture diffusing into the network. In addition, the mirror with the secondary cure remained stable up to 125°C while the mirror with a lower degree of cure exhibited warpage under identical thermal condition due to additional cure shrinkage.
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