Open AccessThe partial space qualification of a vertically aligned carbon nanotube coating on aluminium substrates for EO applications
Author(s) -
E Theocharous,
Christopher J. Chunnilall,
Ryan Mole,
David Gibbs,
Nigel Fox,
N. G. Shang,
Guy Howlett,
Ben Jensen,
Rosie Taylor,
Juan Reveles,
Oliver B. Harris,
Naseer Ahmed
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.22.007290
Subject(s) - materials science , aluminium , coating , carbon nanotube , outgassing , nanotube , optics , substrate (aquarium) , fabrication , composite material , thermal emittance , melting point , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , beam (structure) , medicine , chemistry , physics , oceanography , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , pathology , geology
The fabrication of NanoTube Black, a Vertically Aligned carbon NanoTube Array (VANTA) on aluminium substrates is reported for the first time. The coating on aluminium was realised using a process that employs top down thermal radiation to assist growth, enabling deposition at temperatures below the substrate's melting point. The NanoTube Black coatings were shown to exhibit directional hemispherical reflectance values of typically less than 1% across wavelengths in the 2.5 µm to 15 µm range. VANTA-coated aluminium substrates were subjected to space qualification testing (mass loss, outgassing, shock, vibration and temperature cycling) before their optical properties were re-assessed. Within measurement uncertainty, no changes to hemispherical reflectance were detected, confirming that NanoTube Black coatings on aluminium are good candidates for Earth Observation (EO) applications.