Ultralight Flexible Shielding Film for Extreme Heat and Radiation
Project Description
The goal of this project is to develop ultralight flexible shielding film for extreme conditions, especially high temperature and space radiation during NASA missions. The shielding film consists of highly porous aerogel material reinforced by boron nitride nanofoam (BNNF) with unprecedented benefits including mechanical toughness, foldable/inflatable capability, extreme temperature stability, excellent thermal insulation and neutron radiation shielding.
More »Anticipated Benefits
The proposed shielding material can be an ideal protective insulation for space suits, spacecraft, inflatable structure for habitats and flexible TPS for re- entry decelerator. For military and industry applications, there is also a huge demand of lightweight flexible thermal/radiation shielding, including fire-resistant insulation for high power cables (e.g. U.S. Navy's all-electric ships), thermal insulation for deep-water oil pipes, fire- radiation protective cover for firefighters and nuclear plant workers, etc.
More »Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Langley Research Center
(LaRC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Hampton, Virginia |
| Rice University | Supporting Organization | Academia | Houston, Texas |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Texas
-
Virginia
