What Is Atomic Oxygen?
The atomic oxygen test is a test in which the erosion that atomic oxygen present in low Earth orbit causes on a material surface is simulated with a controlled source. Erosion yield is measured.
Purpose of Atomic Oxygen
The purpose is to determine the resistance to atomic-oxygen erosion of exterior-surface materials that will remain in orbit for a long period.
Which Products Is Atomic Oxygen Applied To?
- Thermal blankets and exterior-surface films
- Solar-panel covers
- Polymer structural elements
- Protective coatings
In Which Sectors Is Atomic Oxygen Used?
Standards Related to Atomic Oxygen
- ASTM E2089
- ECSS-Q-ST-70-06
Atomic Oxygen Conditions
- Source
- Plasma- or ion-beam-based atomic oxygen source
- Flux
- Atoms/cm²·s defined in the specification
- Total fluence
- Total exposure corresponding to the mission duration
- Reference
- Calibration with a reference material such as Kapton
Equipment for Atomic Oxygen
- Atomic-oxygen exposure system
- Flux-measurement and reference-specimen rig
- Microbalance
- Profilometer and SEM
Sample Requirements for Atomic Oxygen
- Specimen surface area and mass must be measured
- A reference specimen must be exposed together with it
- The surface must be clean
- The number of specimens is defined in the specification
Duration of Atomic Oxygen
It depends on the target total fluence; typically days to weeks.
Atomic Oxygen Procedure
- 1The specimen and reference are prepared and their masses are measured.
- 2Flux is calibrated with the reference specimen.
- 3Exposure continues up to the target total fluence.
- 4Mass loss is measured.
- 5Erosion yield is calculated and the surface is examined.
Atomic Oxygen Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is given in the specification as a maximum erosion yield or the remaining thickness at end of mission.
Evaluation of Results
Erosion yield depends strongly on the material; silicon-containing materials can form a protective oxide layer on the surface.
Atomic Oxygen Report
- Standard applied
- Flux and total fluence
- Reference calibration
- Mass loss and erosion yield
- Surface images
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Space material specifications
Aerospace Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Atomic Oxygen test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Aerospace testing shows that equipment keeps working in the flight environment and provides evidence for the airworthiness file. In this family the acceptable probability of failure is several orders of magnitude lower than in other sectors; this directly determines the scope of testing and the certification burden.
The most distinctive feature of the field is TRACEABILITY. Which melt an aircraft part came from, in which heat treatment furnace and with which cycle it was processed, which operator made the weld and which inspector approved it are all recorded. The test report is one link in this chain; if the chain is broken, the report carries no value on its own.
Environmental qualification runs through RTCA DO-160, with categories selected according to the equipment's MOUNTING LOCATION in the aircraft. A device mounted on the cockpit panel and one mounted inside the wing pass the same section under different categories. When reading a DO-160 report it is therefore essential to know which sections were applied at which categories.
On the software and complex hardware side the approach changes entirely: the evidence is not testing but PROCESS ASSURANCE. DO-178C for software and DO-254 for complex electronic hardware define how the development process is to be run and which evidence is to be produced. Every step, from requirement to code, from testing of the code to coverage analysis, must be traceable. Testing software does not make it certifiable; the process record does.
A separate body of work applies on the material and special process side. AWS D17.1 is used for welding, SAE AMS 2750 for pyrometry in heat treatment and NAS 410 for non-destructive testing personnel. For special processes (heat treatment, coating, welding, NDT, bonding) NADCAP accreditation is effectively mandatory in the supply chain; without NADCAP it is not possible to sell parts to many OEMs.
On the quality system side the AS/EN 9100 series is used: 9100 for manufacturers, 9110 for maintenance organisations and 9120 for distributors. Without these certificates it is practically impossible to enter the aerospace supply chain, and audits are markedly more detailed than in other sectors.
Counterfeit part risk is a subject peculiar to the field. Separate standards and verification methods (visual inspection, X-ray, decapsulation and internal structure examination, XRF) are used to detect counterfeit or reworked parts in the electronic component supply chain.
Space applications add further layers: outgassing in vacuum, radiation tolerance, long-duration thermal vacuum cycling and assessment of single event effects.
Method groups in this field
Environmental qualification
RTCA DO-160 sections: temperature and altitude, vibration, shock, humidity, sand and dust, fungus, salt fog, fluid susceptibility, icing, lightning.
Electromagnetic
The EMC sections of DO-160; MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-704 power characteristics on military platforms.
Software and hardware assurance
DO-178C software life cycle and DO-254 hardware design assurance evidence; requirement traceability and coverage analysis.
Materials and welding
Welding qualification under AWS D17.1, mechanical testing of materials, metallography and non-destructive examination.
Special process control
SAE AMS 2750 pyrometry, coating and heat treatment process verification, preparation for NADCAP audits.
Space environment
Thermal vacuum cycling, outgassing, radiation tolerance and acoustic/vibration qualification.
Commonly confused in this field
- There is no such document as a "DO-160 certificate"; DO-160 is a test specification and its output is a qualification report.
- The selection of sections and categories comes from the customer's equipment specification; the laboratory cannot make that selection on its own.
- DO-178C and DO-254 cannot be satisfied by testing; the evidence is the traceability of the development process.
- An AS9100 certificate is not a product approval; it is a quality system certificate and part approval runs separately.
- For special processes, work carried out without NADCAP is not accepted in the supply chain even when it is technically correct.
- MIL-STD-810 and DO-160 are often confused: one is a military and the other a civil aviation specification, and their profiles differ.
Which decisions these results support
- Airworthiness and TSO/ETSO files
- Entry into the aerospace supply chain and supplier approval
- Special process approval and NADCAP preparation
- Determining the impact of a design change on qualification
- Managing counterfeit part risk and component verification
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Atomic Oxygen
According to which standard is Atomic Oxygen made?
Atomic Oxygen is executed in scope ASTM E2089 and ECSS-Q-ST-70-06. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.
Which products does Atomic Oxygen apply to?
Mainly applied to Thermal blankets and exterior-surface films, Solar-panel covers, Polymer structural elements and Protective coatings. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.
Under what conditions is Atomic Oxygen done?
The determining parameters are: Source — Plasma- or ion-beam-based atomic oxygen source, Flux — Atoms/cm²·s defined in the specification and Total fluence — Total exposure corresponding to the mission duration. The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.
What kind of sample is needed for Atomic Oxygen?
Specimen surface area and mass must be measured, A reference specimen must be exposed together with it and The surface must be clean. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.
How long does Atomic Oxygen take?
It depends on the target total fluence; typically days to weeks. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.
What is the Atomic Oxygen result called "appropriate"?
The acceptance criterion is given in the specification as a maximum erosion yield or the remaining thickness at end of mission.