Calculation of Proton Passage through a Highly Filled Polyimide Composite

Abstract

Abstract The passage of protons in a polymer composite is studied by the calculation method. Composites based on polyimide and tungsten oxide are investigated. Data on their basic physical and mechanical properties are presented, depending on the filler content: density, ultimate tensile strength, water absorption, dielectric constant, linear thermal expansion coefficient. The introduction of the proposed filler, tungsten oxide, leads to improved physical and mechanical characteristics of the final composites. The ionization losses of protons in the composite under consideration are calculated for various contents of tungsten oxide in a wide energy range from 0.5 to 5 MeV. The filler is found to play a decisive role in estimating the average free path of protons. In the composites under consideration, the average free path of protons is small over the entire energy range. This indicates the possibility of using the composite to protect against proton radiation in outer space.