Efficiency of aluminized mylar insulation at cryogenic temperatures

James B. Heaney

doi:10.1117/12.323733

17 September 1998 Efficiency of aluminized mylar insulation at cryogenic temperatures

James B. Heaney

Proceedings Volume 3435, Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments VIII; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.323733
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1998, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

An estimate of the transparency of aluminized mylar `superinsulation' was obtained by measuring the far- infrared/submillimeter wave transmittances of 3 pieces randomly selected from a 25.4 micrometers -thick (nom. 001 in.) sheet of mylar that was aluminized on one side. Measured transmittance values were less than 1 X 10^-4 in the 100 micrometers - 1000 micrometers wavelength region. The emissivities of mylar and aluminum were computed from published optical constants to be, respectively, about 5 X 10^-2 and 2 X 10^-4 for temperatures near 20 K and an effective wavelength of 150 micrometers . Due to the strong attenuation of the aluminum layer, the radiant power from an elemental area on the outer surface of the superinsulation is about 10⁴ times more significant than radiance originating within the insulating mylar layer, for temperatures near 20 K. Radiant power passing through doubly aluminized mylar (the usual configuration) would be attenuated by a factor of about 10^-10.

Citation Download Citation

James B. Heaney "Efficiency of aluminized mylar insulation at cryogenic temperatures", Proc. SPIE 3435, Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments VIII, (17 September 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.323733

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