{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":33256,"title":"Reversible Copolymer Materials for FDM 3-D Printing of Non-Standard Plastics","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10728,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10726,"level":3,"code":"TX07.2.2","title":"In-Situ Manufacturing, Maintenance, and Repair","definition":"In-situ manufacturing, maintenance, and repair technologies manufacture items using feedstock produced from in-situ resources and recycled materials and provide system evaluation, preventive maintenance, and corrective actions for human exploration systems.","exampleTechnologies":"Design tools configured to accommodate broad-specification feedstock properties into design safety factors and manufacturing tolerances, instruments and devices functioning in the relevant gravity environment, including: additive manufacturing using broad-specification feedstock from terrestrially-delivered, locally-produced, and recycled materials; subtractive manufacturing using broad-specification feedstock from terrestrially-delivered, locally-produced, and recycled materials; evaluating suitability of locally-produced and recycled material batches for intended manufacturing processes; quality assurance and mission suitability of devices and parts manufactured using terrestrially-delivered, locally-produced, and recycled materials; devices to conduct routine, early fault detection of operational surface systems","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":1,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"Supporting NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and the MSFC, this project's technologies directly address requirements for solutions to recycling on-board plastics materials into 3-D printable formats for low-earth orbit and space flight additive manufacturing systems. This project's technologies offer a means to take on-board non-critical plastics, such as packaging materials, and reclaim these objects for 3-D printing of needed custom parts without requiring an additional mission payload of 3-D printing feedstock.
Department of Defense systems would derive benefits from this technology, including rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing of complex, low-run number, and advanced design parts. Prime defense contractors could find use of an enabling technology allowing 3-D printing of new and exotic polymeric materials or polymeric composites previously thought incompatible to FDM-type processing. Human systems focused solutions would have the ability to additively manufacture custom components for personnel equipment, such as softer elastomeric materials for integral user-custom equipment. This technology's attributes for improving the compatibility of polymers to 3-D printing systems would yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for 3-D printer manufactures, significantly increasing the materials properties available in the feedstock. Such companies could dramatically expand the thermoplastic raw materials available to consumers, and potentially be able to produce materials with custom mechanical performance on-demand. The technology would enable businesses to additively manufacture components and systems previously impossible due to material limitations.","description":"Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) proposes to design and develop thermally-reversible polymeric materials that will function to modify the reprocessing characteristics of current packaging plastics to provide compatibility to Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) type 3-D printing. The application of thermally-reversible polymers combined with a plastic recycling, blending, and extrusion process would allow current and future packaging materials to be processed into a copolymer blend filament suited to the 3-D printing system. This will provide NASA with a means to generate 3-D printer feedstock from on-hand packaging plastics without the need for separate 3-D printer raw material payloads. CRG has already demonstrated the efficacy of thermally-reversible bond structures in commercial adhesive applications, and the proposed concept not only has the potential to enable reclamation and 3-D printing from currently employed packaging materials, but to advance the state-of-the-art in 3-D printing materials technology. CRG's proposed approach to develop thermally-reversible polymer materials to modify current packaging solutions, and demonstration of recycling of those packaging materials into a 3-D printable filament, will provide NASA with a material and processing technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 at the conclusion of the Phase I effort.","startYear":2015,"startMonth":6,"endYear":2015,"endMonth":12,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":244328,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Joseph","lastName":"Althaus","fullName":"Joseph Althaus","fullNameInverted":"Althaus, Joseph","primaryEmail":"Althausjh@Crgrp.Com","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":206378,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jason","lastName":"Kessler","fullName":"Jason L Kessler","fullNameInverted":"Kessler, Jason L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jason.l.kessler@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":215154,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jennifer","lastName":"Gustetic","fullName":"Jennifer L Gustetic","fullNameInverted":"Gustetic, Jennifer L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jennifer.l.gustetic@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":62051,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Carlos","lastName":"Torrez","fullName":"Carlos Torrez","fullNameInverted":"Torrez, Carlos","primaryEmail":"carlos.torrez@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":318856,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Mary","lastName":"Werkheiser","fullName":"Mary J Werkheiser","fullNameInverted":"Werkheiser, Mary J","middleInitial":"J","primaryEmail":"niki.werkheiser@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":461333,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Theresa","lastName":"Stanley","fullName":"Theresa M Stanley","fullNameInverted":"Stanley, Theresa M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"theresa.m.stanley@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[{"file":{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":304550,"fileName":"SBIR_2015_1_BC_H14.03-9603","fileSize":45177,"objectId":301102,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"44.1 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":304550,"fileName":"SBIR_2015_1_BC_H14.03-9603","fileSize":45177,"objectId":301102,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library 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Plastics","startTrl":3,"currentTrl":5,"endTrl":5,"benefits":"Supporting NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and the MSFC, this project's technologies directly address requirements for solutions to recycling on-board plastics materials into 3-D printable formats for low-earth orbit and space flight additive manufacturing systems. This project's technologies offer a means to take on-board non-critical plastics, such as packaging materials, and reclaim these objects for 3-D printing of needed custom parts without requiring an additional mission payload of 3-D printing feedstock.
Department of Defense systems would derive benefits from this technology, including rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing of complex, low-run number, and advanced design parts. Prime defense contractors could find use of an enabling technology allowing 3-D printing of new and exotic polymeric materials or polymeric composites previously thought incompatible to FDM-type processing. Human systems focused solutions would have the ability to additively manufacture custom components for personnel equipment, such as softer elastomeric materials for integral user-custom equipment. This technology's attributes for improving the compatibility of polymers to 3-D printing systems would yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for 3-D printer manufactures, significantly increasing the materials properties available in the feedstock. Such companies could dramatically expand the thermoplastic raw materials available to consumers, and potentially be able to produce materials with custom mechanical performance on-demand.","description":"Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) proposes to continue efforts from the 2015 NASA SBIR Phase I topic H14.03 ?Reversible Copolymer Materials for FDM 3D Printing of Non-Standard Plastics.? CRGs offers NASA the ability to reprocess space mission waste packaging plastics as an In-Situ resource for in space manufacturing via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) type 3-D printing of replacement tools, parts, and devices. This innovation is enabling for space exploration, the application of CRG?s reversible thermoset (RVT) polymers combined with a plastic recycling, blending, and extrusion process will allow current and future packaging materials to be processed into a copolymer blend filament suited to FDM 3-D printing system. This approach offers two implementation routes including; (1) An RVT additive that can be combined with existing waste packaging during a reclamation process to produce 3-D printer filament and (2) A RVT based replacement packaging material that can be directly reclaimed into 3-D printer filament. The material properties of 3-D printer filament from the RVT-based reclamation process can be tuned for mechanical performance (stiffness, flexibility) by adjusting the blend ratios of reclaimed waste packaging:RVT. This will provide NASA with a means to generate 3-D printer feedstocks with varying mechanical performance from on-hand packaging plastics without the need for separate 3-D printer material payloads. CRG has already demonstrated the efficacy of RVT additive in reclamation of NASA?s packaging materials in Phase I by producing a co-polymer blend of RVT with NASA packaging, producing a FDM printer filament with the reclaimed packaging, and successfully 3-D printing the resulting reclaimed packaging material. CRG?s proposed approach to further develop thermally-reversible polymer materials to reclaim NASA?s packaging will provide a material and processing technology readiness level (TRL) of 5 at the conclusion of the Phase II effort.","startYear":2016,"startMonth":4,"endYear":2019,"endMonth":8,"statusDescription":"Completed","website":"","program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"
The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
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The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
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