Restrictions on the Use of Plastic Films, Foams, and Adhesive Tapes (PFAs) and other Static-Producing and Flammable Materials
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10.5.1. General. The use of plastic films, foams, and adhesive tapes (PFAs) shall be kept to a minimum in all payload processing and testing areas. Materials prone to electrostatic charge buildup shall not be used on or near ordnance items or in the vicinity of flammable liquids or commodities such as propellants.
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10.5.1.1. Compliance with the restriction on static-producing materials is handled on a case-by-case basis; however, the following criteria shall be used as a guideline:
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10.5.1.1.1. Materials shall not come into contact with a system having an installed EED or other ordnance.
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10.5.1.1.2. Materials shall not come within 10 feet of exposed solid propellant grain, which is defined as when the grain is visible with no nozzle plug or cover.
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10.5.1.1.3. Materials shall not come within 50 feet of exposed flammable liquids.
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10.5.1.2. Compliance with the use of materials that could be flammable is handled on a case-by-case basis; however, all materials that are used in the vicinity of ordnance or flammable liquids, such as hypergolic propellants, shall pass the material tests described below.
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10.5.2. Material Tests
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10.5.2.1. Materials such as contamination covers, thermal blankets, splash shields, Velcro, tape, and any other material located in the vicinity of liquid propellant areas or ordnance areas shall be evaluated for compatibility with their intended use.
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10.5.2.2. The payload project shall supply a sample of materials to KSC testing laboratory or other approved laboratory for testing, and the results shall be forwarded to the appropriate local safety authority. Materials passing KSC or approved equivalent tests may be deemed acceptable by the appropriate local safety authority.
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Material properties may be obtained through NASA MAPTIS (Material and Process Technical Information System), from KSC Materials Testing Labs, or other approved material database.
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10.5.2.3. Testing shall consider the following material characteristics:
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10.5.2.3.1. Ability to build up a charge (triboelectric test).
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10.5.2.3.2. Ability of that charge to decay (triboelectric test).
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A material is considered to have good electrostatic dissipation properties if it can dissipate voltage down to 350 volts in 5 seconds using the triboelectric test.
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10.5.2.3.3. Flammability
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10.5.2.3.4. Compatibility with other materials and liquids the material may come into contact with.
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10.5.2.4. Material restrictions may also arise from other limitations such as being humidity dependent (for charge dissipation) or degradable in sunlight (ultraviolet).
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10.5.2.5. The appropriate local safety authority shall approve the use of materials based on the test results.
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Materials that do not meet these criteria may be acceptable for a particular usage as determined by the appropriate local safety authority.
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10.5.2.6. Material deficiencies shall result in operational restrictions.
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