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NN5.3.1

Multifunctional Metal/Polymer Hybrid Fiber for Space and Aerospace Applications Jar-Wha Lee, Syscom Technology, Inc., Columbus, OH 43220 Dale L. Hart, University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, OH 45433 Elizabeth T. Shinn, Abigail J. Cooley, Edward L. White, Paul W. MacDowell, Erik Schomburg and George A. Slenski, Wright-Patterson AFB, Material Directorate, AFRL, Dayton, OH 45433 Anthony N. Watkins and Robert L. Yang, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 ABSTRACT The stringent weight and space requirements of advanced space and aerospace systems have lead to a need for stronger, lighter, smaller, and more flexible cable and wiring components. Syscom has fabricated a multifunctional metal/polymer hybrid fiber from a rigid-rod type of polymer, such as poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber, for signal transfer and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in wiring and cable applications. The test results indicated that the metal/polymer hybrid PBO fiber exhibited ~67% the electrical conductivity, ~73% the weight and ~200% the tensile strength of a comparable size of beryllium-copper CS95 wire. Additional experimental results of electric current carrying capability, cable shielding performance and atomic oxygen erosion protection will also be discussed. INTRODUCTION In space and aerospace system, the increasing compact design of electrical packaging imposes significant stress level on copper conductor. Even with the most advanced metal alloy, maintaining the required strength for circuit reliability is problematic. Currently, beryllium-copper alloy provides the highest reliability and miniaturization requirement where the material strength and fatigue resistant properties are essential. Beryllium is a strategic and important material in today’s modern technology. It is used widely in the space, aerospace, energy, defense, medical and electronics industries owning to its extremely lightweight and strong. Nevertheless, the attempts to replace the 22 gauge beryllium-copper wire currently used in aerospace vehicles with a smaller 26 gauge or 30 gauge wire is not entirely successful because the thinner wires do not have the necessary mechanical strength and durability and therefore cannot be used. Furthermore, despite of its abundance applications, the fumes or dust of beryllium and its alloy have been recognized as the cause of beryllosis, a serious chronic lung disease in 1940’s among industry workers. Therefore, the combined material limitation and the health related issue directly show that a lightweight, flexible, durable, mechanically strong and safe-to-use electrical conductor is highly desirable for various space and aerospace applications.

NN5.3.2

Today, considerable research efforts have been spent on conducting polymers1-5 for electronics and optoelectronic applications. Conjugated polymers such as polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene and polypyrrole have been introduced with electrical conductivity up to 105 S cm-1 by chemical and electrochemical doping. Although thes