Spacecraft protected by a coating including pyroelectric/ferroelectric particles, and the coating material

A spacecraft protected by a coating, comprising:

• a spacecraft having an external surface, and
• a coating on the external surface of the spacecraft, the coating including
• a binder that is an organic material or an inorganic material, and
• a plurality of pyroelectric pigment particles bound together by the binder, each pyroelectric pigment particle comprising a pyroelectric pigment material having a dielectric permittivity of from about 200 to about 25,000 and an electronic band gap exceeding about 2.5 electron volts, wherein
• the coating has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.020 inch where the binder is an organic material, and has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.010 inch where the binder is an inorganic material.

A spacecraft protected by a coating, comprising:

• a spacecraft having an external surface, and
• a coating on the external surface of the spacecraft, the coating including
• a binder that is an organic material or an inorganic material, and
• a plurality of pigment particles bound together by the binder, each pigment particle comprising a pigment material which stores an electronic charge when exposed to an electron flux, and which thereafter releases the stored electronic charge over a period of time, wherein
• the coating has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.020 inch where the binder is an organic material, and has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.010 inch where the binder is an inorganic material.

A coating material, comprising:

• a binder that is an organic material or an inorganic material;
• a plurality of pyroelectric pigment particles, each pyroelectric pigment particle comprising a pyroelectric pigment material having a ferroelectric/paraelectric transition;
• and
• a plurality of active secondary particles, the active secondary particles being electrically conductive and non-ferroelectric,
• wherein the plurality of pyroelectric pigment particles and the plurality of active secondary particles are bound together by the binder, and wherein
• the coating material has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.020 inch where the binder is an organic material, and has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.010 inch where the binder is an inorganic material.

A coating material, comprising:

• a binder;
• and
• a plurality of doped pyroelectric pigment particles, the particles being doped to a sufficient extent that the electrical surface resistivity of the coating material is less than or equal to about 1010 ohms per square at room temperature, wherein
• the coating material has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.020 inch where the binder (24) is an organic material, and has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.010 inch where the binder (24) is an inorganic material.

A spacecraft protected by a coating, comprising:

• a spacecraft having an external surface, and
• a coating on the external surface of the spacecraft, the coating including
• a binder that is an organic material or an inorganic material, and
• a plurality of ferroelectric pigment particles bound together by the binder, each ferroelectric pigment particle comprising a ferroelectric pigment material,
• wherein the coating initially includes a coating vehicle and wherein the coating vehicle subsequently is evaporated so that the coating is a solid, wherein
• the coating has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.020 inch where the binder is an organic material, and has a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.010 inch where the binder is an inorganic material.