IGF::OT::IGF ZECOAT CORPORATION WILL DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE A SET OF REVOLUTIONARY COATING PROCESSES FOR M…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF ZECOAT CORPORATION WILL DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE A SET OF REVOLUTIONARY COATING PROCESSES FOR MAKING BROADBAND REFLECTIVE COATINGS SUITABLE FOR VERY LARGE MIRRORS (4+ METERS). DECADES OF RESEARCH AND FLIGHT MISSIONS (HUBBLE, GALAX AND FUSE) HAVE UTILIZED METAL FLUORIDES SUCH AS, MGF2 AND LIF, APPLIED TO AL TO ACHIEVE FUVOIR COATING REQUIREMENTS. WHILE METAL FLUORIDE-PROTECTED AL REMAINS THE BEST OPTION FOR MEETING BROADBAND REFLECTANCE REQUIREMENTS (90-NM TO 2500-NM), ZECOAT OFFERS A MEANS TO BUILD UPON THE BEST KNOWN AND PROVEN COATING RECIPE (THE GSFC 3-STEP PROCESS) BY: 1) UTILIZING ZECOAT'S UNIQUE PRECISION MOTION-CONTROLLED DEPOSITION SYSTEM TO UNIFORMLY APPLY A 5-NM LAYER (A REQUIREMENT OF THE GSFC RECIPE) OF COATING MATERIAL TO A LARGE COATING AREA, 2) PROTECTING MIRROR ASSEMBLIES FROM DAMAGING HIGH TEMPERATURES BY HEATING ONLY THE MIRROR SURFACE USING RADIANT HEAT (THE GSFC PROCESS REQUIRES A 220C METAL-FLUORIDE DEPOSITION TEMPERATURE), 3) USING AN FUV REFLECTOMETER (120-NM TO 180-NM) INTEGRATED INTO THE COATING CHAMBER TO OPTIMIZE THE COATING PROCESS FOR FUV REFLECTANCE AND 4) INVESTIGATING THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A LAYER OF SN TO PROTECT LIF FROM DEGRADATION DUE TO ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE AND ORGANIC CONTAMINATION DURING GROUND STORAGE AND RE-EVAPORATE THE SN ONCE THE OBSERVATORY IS PLACED IN-ORBIT.