Colorless polyimide CP1 film PI (CP1)

C46H22O6N2F12 (repeat unit

CP1 is a colorless, fluorinated aromatic polyimide film developed at NASA Langley and now made under licence by NeXolve (formerly SRS Technologies).

9 sources · Updated 2026-10-20 · CC BY 4.0

Evidence level

5 of 5

Flown or field-proven

Atomic oxygen

1.91e-24 cm3/atom

Density

1.4193 g/cm3

Radiation

More than 0.3 solar absorptance rise

Solar sail

20 square metres

Recipe, share of the weight

  • C not statedCarbon
  • H not statedHydrogen
  • O not statedOxygen
  • N not statedNitrogen
  • F not statedFluorine

Best for

Thin, clear, flexible film for solar sails and sunshades where the film stays uncoated in orbit only for short times

Weakest at

Optical darkening under UV and particle radiation (solar absorptance rose more than 0.3 in simulation), and atomic-oxygen erosion of exposed film

Risk at a glance

  • People Low. No hazard classification found in a fetched source
  • If it fails High. Atomic oxygen erosion
  • Corrosion Severe. Atomic oxygen erodes CP1 at about 1.91e-24 cm3 per atom, a little below Kapton HN.

Quick facts: PI (CP1)

Key properties of PI (CP1)
PropertyValueBasis
Density1.42 g/cm³1 sourced value

What is the density of Colorless polyimide CP1 film?

Colorless polyimide CP1 film has a density of 1.42 g/cm³. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.

What is Colorless polyimide CP1 film used for?

Uses recorded in the sources include Solar sail made of 2 micrometre CP1 film with vapour-deposited aluminum; Thin-film sunshade for a deployable space telescope.

Why it exists

CP1 is a colorless, fluorinated polyimide from NASA Langley. The NIST atomic weights and the NASA repeat-unit formula give a molar mass of 926.6656 g/mole. It was made for thin, clear film that can be used in space, and the flight data show that it survives on MISSE 2 but erodes and darkens under atomic oxygen and radiation. The erosion yield, 1.91e-24 cm3/atom, is lower than Kapton HN (2.81e-24) in the same NASA table.

Where it's used

2-micrometre solar sail (Plum Brook test, 2005; Nanosail-D2, 2011)

A 20 square metre sail of 2 micrometre CP1 with vapour-deposited aluminum was deployed in vacuum. The memo says this led to the Nanosail-D2 mission.

Thin-film sunshade candidates

CP1 is one of the thin-film candidates for a sunshade in the Next Generation Space Telescope, tested for L1/L2 radiation and UV.

Recipe

C46H22O6N2F12 (repeat unit; fluorinated aromatic polyimide)

Repeat unit C46H22O6N2F12, molar mass 926.6656 g/mole (Banks 2008, Table IV). It is a fluorinated aromatic polyimide, so it is made from a dianhydride and a diamine that form a poly(amic acid), which is then cyclised to the polyimide. The fetched Wikipedia page describes this two-step route for polyimides in general and does not name CP1's monomers, so the specific monomers are not listed here.

What PI (CP1) is made of
IngredientShare of the weightWhat it does
Carbon C not stated Carbon backbone of the aromatic rings and imide groups (NIST standard atomic weight interval).
Hydrogen H not stated Hydrogen on the aromatic rings (NIST standard atomic weight interval).
Oxygen O not stated Imide carbonyl and ether oxygens (NIST standard atomic weight interval).
Nitrogen N not stated Imide nitrogens (NIST standard atomic weight interval).
Fluorine F not stated Fluorine groups that make the film colorless and clear (per the NASA memo's description of CP1 as visibly clear); the NASA table does not say which bonds carry them.

Weight shares are as printed in the sources.

What it can do

Atomic oxygen

1.91e-24 cm3/atom

On MISSE 2 the CP1 film eroded at 1.91e-24 cm3/atom, lower than Kapton HN at 2.81e-24.

Density

1.4193 g/cm3

Density of the MISSE 2 CP1 sample in the NASA table.

Radiation

More than 0.3 solar absorptance rise

Simulated L1/L2 radiation and UV raised the solar absorptance of the CP film group by more than 0.3 without saturating.

Solar sail

20 square metres

A 2 micrometre CP1 sail of 20 square metres was deployed in vacuum at GRC in 2005.

How it compares

In the same MISSE 2 table, CP1 eroded at 1.91e-24 cm3/atom against 2.81e-24 for Kapton HN. Under simulated space radiation the CP films darkened by more than 0.3, while Kapton and Upilex stayed within 0.1 (russell2001). The fetched sources give no CP1 comparison with metals or composites.

The same measurements for each material, so you can compare them. Each row names the key condition under the value; the full conditions and methods are in the numbered notes under Technical details. Other materials are shown beside it; each was measured under its own conditions, so open its page before comparing closely. Compare every grade in the family.

Benchmarks
MeasurementPI (CP1)PI (Kapton H)PI (Kapton HN)PI (PMR-15)PI (Upilex-S)
Lifetime and stability
Volume per repeat unit1.08×10^-21 cm³5no datano datano datano data
Minimum volume of atoms in the repeat unit1.24×10^-22 cm³6no datano datano datano data
Physical and electrical
Density1.419 g/cm³11.427 g/cm³1.42 g/cm³1.287 g/cm³1.387 g/cm³
Film thickness of the uncoated flight sample1 mil8no datano datano datano data
Other measurements
Atomic oxygen erosion yield, MISSE 2 flight1.91×10^-24 cm³/atom23×10^-24 cm³/atom2.81×10^-24 cm³/atom> 3.02×10^-24 cm³/atom9.22×10^-24 cm³/atom
Predicted atomic oxygen erosion yield2.27×10^-24 cm³/atom3no datano datano datano data
Molar mass of the repeat unit926.7 g/mole4382.3 g/moleno datano datano data
Fractional ash content0.00171 mass fraction7no datano datano datano data
Atomic oxygen fluence at which the butt-joint seam failed1.8×10^20 atoms/cm²9no datano datano datano data
Increase in solar absorptance after simulated space radiation (CP film group)0.3 decimal (solar absorptance)10no datano datano datano data
Solar absorptance of colorless films before and after irradiation0.2 decimal (solar absorptance)11no data0.38 (dimensionless)no datano data
Change in infrared emittance of CP-1 after combined UV, proton and electron exposure8 percent12no datano datano datano data

Why choose it, and why not

Good for

  • Thin, clear, flexible film for solar sails and sunshades. The 2 micrometre sail deployed in vacuum on the ground.
  • Flight-proven film with a MISSE 2 erosion yield (1.91e-24 cm3/atom) lower than Kapton HN.

Watch out for

  • Atomic oxygen erosion. The MISSE 2 erosion yield is 1.91e-24 cm3/atom, and the seam of a 1 mil sample failed at about 1.8e20 atoms/cm2.
  • Radiation darkening. The CP film group gained more than 0.3 solar absorptance in simulation, without saturating.
  • Commercial grades differ. NeXolve adds proprietary additives and coatings to CP1, so the values here may not match a current product.

CP1 is a clear, thin, flexible polyimide that was flown on MISSE 2 and used in a 2 micrometre solar sail. It erodes under atomic oxygen (1.91e-24 cm3/atom) and darkens more than Kapton under simulated radiation, so exposed film needs a cover or coating. The record is thin: no CP1 thermal, mechanical or hazard data were read, and the gaps below list them.

Technical details

For scientists and researchers. Everything above comes from the record below: every number with its method, its conditions and its source.

Notes

The method, full conditions and any caveat for the numbered rows above.

Notes for the numbered rows
#MeasurementMethodConditionsCaveat
1DensityDensity measurement made for the experiment and listed in the NASA report (which cites its references 11 and 12 for the experiment)specimen PI (CP1) polymer sample used in the MISSE 2 PEACE polymers experimentuse density needed to convert mass loss into erosion yield—
2Atomic oxygen erosion yield, MISSE 2 flightMass loss divided by density and atomic oxygen fluence, as reported in the NASA predictive-tool reportplatform MISSE 2 PEACE polymers tray, ISS, outside the Quest airlockfluence 8.43e21 atoms/cm2 (average of two fluence witness samples)exposure 2001-08-16 to 2005-07-30, about 3.95 years—
3Predicted atomic oxygen erosion yieldPredicted value from the predictive tool. It is a model output, not a measurementmodel NASA predictive equation from the same report, fitted to the MISSE 2 data—
4Molar mass of the repeat unitAtomic mass of the repeat unit as printed in the NASA tableformula C46H22O6N2F12—
5Volume per repeat unitCalculated value from the predictive-tool data set, not a measured valuebasis volume per repeat unit calculated for the predictive tool—
6Minimum volume of atoms in the repeat unitCalculated value from the predictive-tool data set, not a measured valuebasis sum of atomic volumes in the repeat unit—
7Fractional ash contentMass fraction of polymer that is ash, measured for the experimentspecimen PI (CP1) MISSE 2 PEACE polymers sample—
8Film thickness of the uncoated flight sampleThickness as printed in the NASA memo (the sample description)sample uncoated CP1, MISSE-1 and MISSE-2 flight samples in the NASA memo—
9Atomic oxygen fluence at which the butt-joint seam failedSeam failure detected by the Kapton witness sample underneath; the memo says the sample survived about 2e20 atoms/cm2 without a seam failuresample 1 mil uncoated CP1 with an adhesive-free butt-joint seam, MISSE-2exposure ISS, wake side, Kapton witness sample underneath—
10Increase in solar absorptance after simulated space radiation (CP film group)Solar absorptance computed from in situ reflectance measurements; the memo gives this as a lower bound for the group, not a value for CP1 aloneexposure simulated L1/L2 electron and proton radiation plus about 1000 equivalent solar hours UV, in vacuumfilms CP-1, CP-2 and TOR film samples as a group; the text says the increase was more than 0.3 without saturating—
11Solar absorptance of colorless films before and after irradiationText summary of the solar absorptance change, read from the paper's results section; the paper gives the range as 'from about 0.2 to nearly 0.5'films colorless polyimide films (CP group), as a groupexposure simulated L1/L2 radiation and UV, as printed in the text—
12Change in infrared emittance of CP-1 after combined UV, proton and electron exposureText summary by the paper. Its figure is an increase of about eight percent in the measured emittanceexposure combined UV, proton and electron irradiation (simulated L1/L2 environment)measurement emittance measured in air, from about 0.47 to about 0.51 (decimal)—

Corrosion and compatibility

What happens when it meets other materials and environments.

Corrosion and compatibility
EnvironmentConcernWhat happens
Atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit severe Atomic oxygen erodes CP1 at about 1.91e-24 cm3 per atom, a little below Kapton HN.1
Space ultraviolet, protons and electrons (ground simulation) severe CP films darkened more than Kapton under simulated L1/L2 radiation, and their solar absorptance rose by more than 0.3 without saturating.2
Mechanical and thermal, as flown on MISSE not rated No corrosion, ageing or thermal-cycling endurance value for CP1 film was read in a fetched source.3
Corrosion details
#EnvironmentDetailsTest conditions
1 Atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit On MISSE 2 the PEACE polymers tray received 8.43e21 atoms/cm2 over about 3.95 years. The uncoated 1 mil CP1 film with a butt-joint seam survived about 2e20 atoms/cm2 on the wake side, but its seam failed at about 1.8e20, and the Kapton witness below showed the failure. flight 1 MISSE 2 PEACE tray, 3.95 years, fluence 8.43e21 atoms/cm2flight 2 MISSE-2 wake side, 1 mil butt-joint seam, seam failure at about 1.8e20 atoms/cm2
2 Space ultraviolet, protons and electrons (ground simulation) The paper says the solar absorptance of CP and TOR films rose by more than 0.3 without saturating, while Kapton and Upilex stayed within 0.1. The text gives the CP group only; the per-material CP-1 numbers are in figures that were not converted to values here. exposure simulated five-year L1/L2 proton, electron and about 1000 equivalent solar hours of UV
3 Mechanical and thermal, as flown on MISSE The 2015 memo reports that uncoated CP1 showed no significant change in transmission on MISSE-1 and that its seam failed on MISSE-2. It gives no thermal-cycling or humidity result. basis NASA memo section 3.1 (MISSE-1 and MISSE-2 uncoated CP1)

Risks and side effects

Hazards to people, what happens when a cell overheats, and how the material is handled and stored.

For people

No safety data sheet for CP1 was read, so no hazard statement is recorded here.

Hazard data
None found in a fetched source. The DuPont sheet for Kapton does not apply to CP1.

If it fails

These results come from flight exposure of uncoated film and from a laboratory simulation.

Atomic oxygen
Erosion yield 1.91e-24 cm3/atom on MISSE 2, and the seam of a 1 mil sample failed at about 1.8e20 atoms/cm2.
Radiation darkening
CP film solar absorptance rose by more than 0.3 in simulation.

Handling and storage

Storage
No storage guidance found in a fetched source.

Test details
The original wording and numbers from the sources, for readers who want them.

Failure risks

Failure risks
FailureTrigger and consequence
Atomic oxygen erosionhigh severityExposed CP1 film in low Earth orbit (MISSE 2 PEACE tray, 8.43e21 atoms/cm2)Film thins and erodes; the MISSE 2 erosion yield was 1.91e-24 cm3/atom
Seam failure under atomic oxygenmoderate severity1 mil uncoated CP1 with an adhesive-free butt-joint seam in MISSE-2 (about 1.8e20 atoms/cm2)The butt joint failed while the film itself survived; a Kapton witness sample underneath showed the failure
Optical darkening under radiation and UVhigh severitySimulated L1/L2 electron, proton and UV exposureSolar absorptance rose by more than 0.3 for the CP film group, and emittance rose by about eight percent for CP-1, with no sign of saturation

Side effects on surrounding parts

Side effects on surrounding parts
AffectsEffect
Thermal emittance of the film surfaceErosion of an aluminized CP1 sample on MISSE-3 dropped its infrared emittance from 0.65 to 0.61 (the CP1 side was exposed).

Handling and storage

  • No handling or storage guidance for CP1 was found in a fetched source. No safety data sheet for CP1 was read.

Mitigations

  • Aluminum coating on one side of the film (vapour-deposited aluminum) was flown and used in the 2 micrometre solar sail. The memo does not give an erosion yield for the coated film.
  • A later modified grade, CORIN XLS, labelled as an AO-resistant CP1 and flown on MISSE-6A, had an atomic oxygen erosion yield of 8.4e-26 cm3/atom. It is not the same product as the original CP1 in this profile.

Supply and geography

How common the raw materials are and where they come from.

Colorless polyimide CP1 film

Not read in a fetched source.

Top producers
United States (NeXolve in Huntsville, Alabama, per the NASA memo title page), United States
Recycling
Not sourced.
Substitutes
EP2550 (now Essar Stretch 255) is a low-modulus analog of CP1, visibly clear and easily modified with fillers, per the NASA memo.