Abstract
Polyurethane (PU) is a commonly used conformal coating for printed circuit boards (PCBs). Filamentous fungi present in the space station environment are capable of degrading PU coatings, thereby posing a threat to the safety of electronic components. Therefore, we conducted a 90-day interaction test between Aspergillus brasiliensis and PU-coated PCBs in the China Space Station (CSS) and a controlled environment on the ground. This research aimed to investigate the alterations in the physiological properties of A. brasiliensis on PCB surfaces and the deterioration behavior of PU coating systems in the space microgravity environment. The results show that many fungal parameters, such as growth, morphology, cell ultrastructure, and low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOA) accumulation showed strong changes after spaceflight compared to ground controls. Distinct corrosion morphological features were found in the internal coatings by FIB/SEM analysis, suggesting the existence of a particular deterioration mechanism in the microgravity environment, which requires further investigation.
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