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Structure of poly-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide Kapton insulating pads for mounting electronic parts on a heat sink Kapton is a
polyimide Polyimide (sometimes abbreviated PI) is a polymer containing imide groups belonging to the class of high-performance plastics. With their high heat-resistance, polyimides enjoy diverse applications in roles demanding rugged organic materials, e.g ...
film used in flexible printed circuits ( flexible electronics) and space blankets, which are used on spacecraft, satellites, and various space instruments. Invented by the DuPont Corporation in the 1960s, Kapton remains stable (in isolation) across a wide range of temperatures, from .


History

Kapton was invented by the DuPont Corporation in the 1960s. The name ''Kapton'' is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.


Chemistry and variants

Kapton synthesis is an example of the use of a dianhydride in step polymerization. The intermediate polymer, known as a ''poly(amic acid)'', is soluble because of strong
hydrogen bond In chemistry, a hydrogen bond (or H-bond) is a primarily electrostatic force of attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom which is covalently bound to a more electronegative "donor" atom or group (Dn), and another electronegative atom bearing a ...
s to the polar solvents usually employed in the reaction. The ring closure is carried out at high temperatures of . The chemical name for Kapton K and HN is ''poly (4,4'-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide)''. It is produced from the condensation of
pyromellitic dianhydride Pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) is an organic compound with the formula C6H2(C2O3)2. It is the double carboxylic acid anhydride that is used in the preparation of polyimide polymers such as Kapton. It is a white, hygroscopic solid. It forms a ...
(PMDA) and 4,4'-oxydiphenylamine (ODA). Kapton E is a mix of two dianhydrides, PMDA and biphenyltetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (BPDA), and two diamines, ODA and p-phenylenediamine (PPD). The BPDA component adds greater dimensional stability and flatness in flexible circuitry applications. Kapton E offers reduced coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), reduced moisture absorption, and reduced coefficient of hygroscopic expansion (CHE) compared to Kapton H.


Characteristics

Kapton remains stable (in isolation) across a wide range of temperatures, from . The thermal conductivity of Kapton at temperatures from 0.5 to 5 Kelvin is rather high for such low temperatures, κ = 4.638×10−3 ''T''0.5678 W·m−1·K−1. Kapton insulation ages poorly: an FAA study shows degradation in hot, humid environments or in the presence of seawater. It was found to have very poor resistance to mechanical wear, mainly abrasion within cable harnesses due to aircraft movement. Many aircraft models have had to undergo extensive rewiring modifications—sometimes completely replacing all the Kapton-insulated wiring—because of short circuits caused by the faulty insulation. Kapton-wire degradation and chafing due to vibration and heat has been implicated in multiple crashes of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, with loss of life. According to a NASA internal report, Space Shuttle "wires were coated with an insulator known as Kapton that tended to break down over time, causing short circuits and, potentially, fires."


Usage

Kapton tapes, three rolls of different widths


Electronics manufacturing

Due to its large range of temperature stability and its electrical isolation ability, Kapton tape is usually used in electronic manufacturing as an insulation and protection layer on electrostatic-sensitive and fragile components. As it can sustain the temperature needed for a reflow soldering operation, its protection is available throughout the whole production process, and Kapton is often still present in the final consumer product.


Spacecraft

Aluminized Kapton thermal cover was used on the Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment The descent stage of the
Apollo Lunar Module The Apollo Lunar Module (LM ), originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lunar lander spacecraft that was flown between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface during the United States' Apollo program. It was the first crewed ...
, and the bottom of the ascent stage surrounding the ascent engine, were covered in blankets of aluminized Kapton foil to provide thermal insulation. During the return journey from the Moon, Apollo 11 astronaut
Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...
commented that during the launch of the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' ascent stage, he could see "Kapton and other parts on the LM staging scattering all around the area for great distances." The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has considered Kapton as a good plastic support for
solar sail Solar sails (also known as light sails and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large mirrors. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been p ...
s because of its durability in the space environment. NASA's ''
New Horizons ''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research ...
'' spacecraft used Kapton in an innovative " Thermos bottle" insulation design to keep the craft operating between throughout its more than nine-year, journey to rendezvous with the dwarf planet Pluto on 14 July 2015. The main body is covered in lightweight, gold-colored, multilayered thermal insulation which holds in heat from operating electronics to keep the spacecraft warm. The thermal blanketing of 18 layers of Dacron mesh cloth sandwiched between aluminized Mylar and Kapton film also helped to protect the craft from micrometeorites. The
James Webb Space Telescope sunshield The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) sunshield is a passive thermal control system deployed post-launch to shield the telescope and instrumentation from the light and heat of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. By keeping the telescope and instruments ...
is made of five Kapton E sheets coated with aluminum and doped silicon to reflect heat away from the spacecraft body. The crew aboard the International Space Station used Kapton tape to temporarily repair a slow leak in a Soyuz spacecraft attached to the Russian segment of the orbital complex in August 2018. It was used again in October 2020 to temporarily seal a leak in the transfer chamber of the Zvezda Service Module of the ISS.


X-rays

Kapton is also commonly used as a material for windows used with all kinds of X-ray sources ( synchrotron beam-lines and
X-ray tube An X-ray tube is a vacuum tube that converts electrical input power into X-rays. The availability of this controllable source of X-rays created the field of radiography, the imaging of partly opaque objects with penetrating radiation. In contrast ...
s) and X-ray detectors. Its high mechanical and thermal stability as well as high transmittance of X-rays make it the preferred material. It is also relatively insensitive to radiation damage.


3D printing

Kapton and ABS adhere to each other very well, which has led to widespread use of Kapton as a build surface for 3D printers. Kapton is laid down on a flat surface and the ABS is extruded onto the Kapton surface. The ABS part being printed will not detach from the build platform as it cools and shrinks, a common cause of print failure by warping of the part. A more durable alternative is to use a polyetherimide surface. Researchers have devised a method to 3D-print polyimide material including Kapton. The polyamic acid precursor to Kapton is mixed with an acrylate cross linker and photoinitiator that can form a gel when exposed to ultraviolet light during 3D printing. Subsequent heating of the 3D printed part up to 400 °C removes the sacrificial crosslinks and imidizes the part forming Kapton with a 3D printed geometry.


Others

Kapton's relatively high thermal conductivity at very low temperatures, together with its good dielectric qualities and its availability as thin sheets, have made it a favorite material in cryogenics, as it provides electrical insulation at low thermal gradients. Kapton is regularly used as an insulator in ultra-high-vacuum environments due to its low outgassing rate. Kapton-insulated electrical wiring has been widely used in civil and military aircraft because it is lighter than other insulators and has good insulating and temperature characteristics.


See also

* Mylar


References


External links


Polyimide Films
at DuPont {{DuPont Aerospace materials Dielectrics Flexible electronics