The Applications of Nano Diamond in the Field of Spacecraft

Researchers from State University of Campinas in Brazil, recently created nano diamond and other nano carbon materials through targeted high speed crushing, and the technology is expected to solve the structural damage of objects from the impact, and can be used in the aspects of spacecraft and satellite materials, to effectively resist the impact of high-speed projectile.

Meteorites and orbital debris have devastating damage for spacecraft and satellites, but it can greatly reduce the damage in the collision by using lightweight flexible materials. Carbon nanotubes are the best choice of the development of this new material.

Workers will put multilayer carbon nanotubes into the spherical bullets, and then use the secondary light gas gun to shot the aluminum target, and later make an analysis for three kinds of shooting impact under the condition of different speed.

In the low-speed crash test of 3.9 kilometers per second, the structure of carbon nanotubes remains unchanged; When it is speeded up to 5.2 kilometers per second, there is still a part of carbon nanotubes whose structure remains unchanged; When it is speeded up to 6.9 kilometers per second, the structure of carbon nanotubes has been basically shattered, and the original structure has changed; While most of carbon nanotubes have been divided into different shapes like the shape of ribbon.

A previous research has found that carbon nanotubes can form graphene ribbons under the condition of hypervelocity; We always want to be able to get carbon nanotubes combined structure, but at the same time, it is really surprising to find the formation of nano diamond.

According to the analysis of Ajayan, the direction of nanotubes, the relation between nanotubes and aluminum target, and the layer number of nanotube and rate of fire all have an important influence for the formation of the final material structure.

The study opens up a new way for high-speed impact technology manufacturing nanomaterials, and will play a significant role for the applications of spacecraft and satellite materials in the future.