Cosmic radiation shielding tests for UHMWPE fiber/nano-epoxy composites

Cosmic radiation shielding properties are important for spacecraft, and hydrogenous materials such as polyethylene have been shown to be effective in shielding against galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles. Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, which are effective in such shielding, also have advanced mechanical and physical properties, which potentially are very valuable for NASA space missions both as a radiation shield and as vehicle structure. In our previous studies, we fabricated a nano-epoxy matrix with reactive graphitic nanofibers that showed enhanced mechanical (including strength, modulus and toughness) and thermal properties (higher T_g, stable CTE, and higher ageing resistance), as well as wetting and adhesion ability to UHMWPE fibers. In this work, the radiation shielding performance of the UHMWPE fiber reinforced nano-epoxy composite was characterized by radiation tests at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The results showed that the high radiation shielding performance associated with UHMWPE was not degraded by the addition of graphitic nanofibers in the matrix. Together with the previous studies showing higher mechanical properties, these new studies validate the importance of the UHMWPE fiber/nano-epoxy composite for potential applications in more durable space composites and structures, and offer reduced manufacturing costs and wider design applications through avoidance of specialized and in some cases ineffective UHMWPE fiber surface treatment processes.