“These composites could be used to shield electronics from radiation exposure,” Orikasa says. “If radiation reaches electronics, it can interrupt signal processing.” 

Orikasa is making the composites at Professor Arvind Agarwal’s Plasma Forming Laboratory and testing them at a NASA radiation testing facility.

“Kazue is an absolutely brilliant person,” says Agarwal, chair of FIU’s department of mechanical and materials engineering. “Making a single material that is resistant to radiation while being durable and lightweight is not easy. In the end, combining these qualities could elongate the lifetime of materials that we send to space.” 

By using nanomaterials, Orikasa has the potential to significantly bolster plastic’s defenses against radiation. These nanomaterials could also make plastic materials more durable and better at handling electricity and heat. 

“One nanomaterial, graphene, has a theoretical strength much higher than any other material on Earth. Much higher than diamonds, or anything,” Orikasa says.