ORDERED POLYMER FILMS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BALLOONS

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BALLOONS ARE USED TO CARRY INSTRUMENT PAYLOADS INTO THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE. IMPROVED MATERIALS AND DESIGNS ARE NEEDED TO ENHANCE THE RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THESE BALLOONS. THIS PHASE I PROGRAM SEEKS TO EXAMINE AN ORDERED POLYMER FILM, PBT (POLY-P-PHENYLENE BENZOBISTHIAZOLE), FOR APPLICATION AS A BALLOON FILM MATERIAL PBT IS AN EXTREMELY STRONG, STABLE, AND RELATIVELY INERT POLYMER WITH GOOD UV RESISTANCE AND TOUGHNESS AT COLD TEMPERATURES. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL EXAMINE THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PBT RELEVANT TO THIS APPLICATION AND DETERMINE FILM CHARACTERISTICS WHICH COULD BE IMPROVED. USING BASELINE FILM MECHANICAL TEST DATA, THIS PHASE I EFFORT ALSO INCLUDES INITIAL STEPS TO MODIFY THE FILM FOR BALLOON APPLICATIONS. IF PHASE I SHOWS PROMISE, PHASE II WILL DEVELOP AND EXPAND FILM FABRICATION TECHNIQUES, FURTHER DEVELOP SEALING METHODS AND ESTABLISH AN APPROPRIATE DESIGN FOR A PROTOTYPE PBT BALLOON.