Multilayer Insulation Blankets

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Product Information

CHEMFAB® Solutions for Spacecraft and Satellites Protection

Comprised of a high-performance PTFE and glass composite, CHEMFAB Beta cloth products are used as a component for MLI (multilayer insulation) blankets. Often used as the outer layer, special design of the product provides the strength, resistance to flex fatigue and handle which sets it apart from other standard coated fabrics, and makes it more suitable for space applications. This lightly coated, low outgassing material has a great deal of flight legacy being used in proximity to sensitive components and equipment. In many applications, some properties or values are diminished by end of life as the effects of thermo cycling, atomic oxygen, solar ultraviolet radiation, vacuum ultraviolet radiation, and space debris attack the exposed surface. CHEMFAB Beta cloth fabrics are able to withstand these harsh conditions, serving as a barrier and protecting the inner surface.

Space stations equipped multilayer insulation blankets made from CHEMFAB Beta cloth

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Features / Outcomes

Features

High solar reflectance and thermal emittance

Low solar transmission and absorbance

Superlative atomic oxygen resistance

Thermally stable up to 500°F/260°C

Great tensile and tear strength

Easy handling

Outcomes

Can be used on satellites and in vacuum conditions

Provides strength and resistance to flex fatigue

Able to withstand harsh conditions of space

Can be used in space without loss of mechanical properties

Dependably long lasting protection

Component Information

CHEMFAB® Fabrics for Multilayer Insulation Blankets (MLI)

Designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the outer space, CHEMFAB Beta cloth products are used as an important component of the multilayer insulation blankets.

All materials used in making an MLI blanket need to be treated as flight- or program-critical hardware from the time they are received, and separation of the radiation barriers is maintained by lightweight, low-thermal conductivity materials between the reflectors.

Easy to use, CHEMFAB PTFE coated fabrics are used in fabrication of the MLI and affixing the multiple component layers into a single insulator, typically with sewing, thermal lamination, or adhesives. Due to its mechanical properties, Beta cloth is suitable for the production of complex geometries by enabling an overlapping series of sub-modules within the insulator.

Products of Choice

CHEMFAB® Products of Choice

Product Reference	Typical Property	Description
CF500 F (Americas)	8 mil	Speciality product designed to be lightweight and flexible
CF500 GW (Americas)	8 mil	Speciality product designed to be lightweight, flexible and anti-static
MD3 CTR (Americas)	3 mil	Lightweight fiberglass fabric with increased flex endurance and static dissipation