Experimental investigation on characteristics of pulsed plasma thrusters with the propellant samples of modified PTFE filled Si, Al and Al2O3

As the inherent simplicity, pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) have a broad prospect on small satellites. However, these disadvantages including the late-time ablation and carbon deposition caused by the conventional use of the propellant of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) limit the performance of PPTs. The promising alternative is to modify PTFE with inclusions, aiming at improving some characteristics while maintaining its most superiorities. Therefore, this paper presents an experimental investigation of characteristics of PPTs fed by propellant samples of modified PTFE filled Si, Al and Al2O3. The surface topography, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, emission spectra, plasma plume and performance parameters of the modified propellant samples were tested and compared with those of the standard pure PTFE in the operation context of PPTs. According to the experimental results, although the fillings could result in reverse plasma particles and lead the side surfaces to be ablated, they would effectively improve the specific impulse and the efficiency at the low discharge voltage.