Aluminized black Kapton® film is a carbon-filled polyimide film with vacuum-deposited aluminum on one side, used most commonly as the outer layer of spacecraft MLI blankets. It operates from -250°C to 290°C at 25 µm thickness, with surface resistivity of 105 to 107 Ω/sq that dissipates surface charge, and a black face that absorbs stray light around optical instruments. Thermal engineers specify it for charged orbital environments and optical payloads where a standard reflective outer layer would cause problems.
Polyimide alone is an electrical insulator; the continuous carbon strands in black Kapton® make the surface dissipative at 10⁵ to 10⁷ Ω/sq, bleeding off charged particles instead of letting surface potential build.
The VDA layer provides a continuous conductive path to spacecraft ground, completing the charge-control scheme.
The black face's high absorptivity suppresses reflections around star trackers, telescopes, and imaging instruments.
-250°C to 290°C covers cryogenic instruments and hot-side surfaces with one qualified material.
The film runs from -250°C to 290°C, measures 25 µm thick, and holds surface resistivity between 10⁵ and 10⁷ Ω/sq with a typical outside-surface α/ε of 1.1.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Construction | Carbon-filled polyimide, VDA one side |
| Thickness | 25 µm |
| Operating temperature | -250°C to 290°C |
| Surface resistivity | 10⁵ to 10⁷ Ω/sq |
| Typical outside surface α/ε | 1.1 |
The dominant use is the outer layer of MLI blankets on satellites and instruments, where the space-facing side needs charge dissipation, stray-light absorption, or both. Programs insulating optical instruments wrap the surrounding structure in black Kapton® MLI to keep scattered light out of the aperture. In GEO and LEO charging environments it forms the grounded outer skin of the thermal blanket.
Dunmore Aerospace has manufactured thermal control materials for the space industry since 1985 from Bristol, Pennsylvania. Dunmore materials flew on NASA's Cassini mission, documented in NASA's Spinoff 2016 report. Dunmore is ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Aerospace thermal-control material experience.
Dunmore materials supported NASA's Cassini mission.
ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Standard Kapton® is an electrical insulator with a reflective appearance; black Kapton® adds carbon filler that makes the surface charge-dissipative and optically absorptive. Choose black when the blanket needs to bleed off charge or suppress stray light.
The carbon strands conduct charged particles across the surface at 10⁵ to 10⁷ Ω/sq, and the aluminum layer provides a continuous path to spacecraft ground. Charge drains instead of accumulating to discharge-threatening potentials.
-250°C to 290°C, spanning cryogenic instrument environments through hot exterior surfaces.
The ratio of solar absorptance to infrared emittance sets a surface's equilibrium temperature in sunlight. At 1.1 the black surface runs warmer than a white or OSR surface; the material is chosen for charge and stray-light control rather than cold-biasing.
Dunmore supplies MLI materials in Satkit form, ready-to-use insulation sets for spacecraft integration. Contact Dunmore about outer-layer configurations.
Talk to Dunmore about aluminized black Kapton® film for charge-dissipative MLI, optical payloads, GEO and LEO spacecraft, and ready-to-integrate insulation configurations.