Computational Investigation of Low-Dimensional Materials for Spacesuit Applications

<b>Modern Space Suit materials maintain properties that shield astronauts from radiation, severe lunar temperature, and microparticles; while upholding lightweightness, flexibility and tensile strength on long space missions. Most spacesuit materials are made from nylon, synthetic fabrics and synthetic polymers. High density polyethylene (HDPE) is a popular polymer for space applications due to their resistance properties from secondary radiation exposure and their richness in hydrogen atoms. However, HDPE lacks tensile strength, therefore causing urgency to find a material that will absorb well and maintain excellent properties with HDPE. In this project, low-dimensional materials, including graphene, graphene oxide and boron oxide are explored for spacesuit material additives HDPE, because of their successful electrostatic, thermal and mechanical properties. Density Functional Theory (DFT) computations are used to investigate the adsorption interactions between low-dimensional materials with HDPE with the variable of angle dependence. Moreover, exploring their ability to maintain radiation resistance, thermal cycling and electrostatic properties. </b>