A SEM Study on Space Environment Effects of Carbon Nanotube Arrays

Abstract

Due to their unique properties, carbon nanotubes will have great potential applications in many fields, particularly in space applications. But in development of carbon nano-materials intended for operation in aerospace, one of the most important problems is assurance of their resistance against the impact of the AO which is one of the predominant environment in space. Here we present the AO erosion effects on pure carbon nanotube arrays by SEM analysis. It is shown that the morphologies of CNT arrays are quite different from those before AO experiments. Different morphologies of CNT arrays after AO exposure are shown by SEM images. It is presented that shrinkage and crack formation of CNT arrays are caused by bombardment force.