Highly protective, lightweight materials: Baykomm

Special Story

Highly protective, lightweight materials

Bayer MaterialScience AG has developed special polymer materials that offer efficient shielding from cosmic radiation, a complex mix of various forms of radiation generated by the stars – including the Sun – that travels through the universe to Earth.

Effective protection of the crew is crucial on manned space flights and in air travel. Bayer MaterialScience has developed polymer materials that offer high levels of shielding at much lower weights than the aluminum used previously. (Photo: ESA)

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Effective protection of the crew is crucial on manned space flights and in air travel. Bayer MaterialScience has developed polymer materials that offer high levels of shielding at much lower weights than the aluminum used previously. (Photo: ESA)

The majority of radiation reaching the Earth is deflected by its magnetic field. However, the intensity of the radiation increases significantly outside the reach of the Earth's magnetic field. Cosmic radiation can have a damaging effect on the human body and also cause malfunctions in electronic systems. As a result, space capsules and aircraft have up till now been effectively shielded through the use of aluminum. The annual dose rate, e.g. for civil aviation aircrew, falls far short of the threshold value for occupational radiation exposure stipulated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). “Our polymers have the advantage of offering the same level of shielding as aluminum, but are up to 30 percent lighter,” says Dr. Heinz Pudleiner, who manages the project at Bayer MaterialScience.

A unique measuring method, which was developed under Professor Norbert Vana of the Austrian Universities’ Atomic Institute at the Vienna University of Technology, is capable of quantifying the shielding effect by measuring the radiation dose and its biological relevance in front of and behind the samples. “The results of the measurements enable us to reliably assess the shielding effect of materials for biological and electronic systems,” says Dr. Michael Hajek, a project team member at the Atomic Institute. In addition, the researchers can also simulate cosmic radiation quite realistically in experiments on Earth. This provides a valuable alternative to testing the materials in unmanned space flights.

“If the results continue to be positive, the new lightweight polymer materials could one day be used on aircraft and space capsules to protect aircrew and astronauts from cosmic radiation,” notes Dr. Harald Pielartzik of New Business at Bayer MaterialScience, who is responsible for contacts with universities/colleges and institutes. Cosmic radiation protection would be especially important on a manned mission to Mars, as the capsule would be exposed to a particularly high dose of radiation on the long journey through the vacuum of space.