{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":93724,"title":"Reclaimable Thermally Reversible Polymers for AM Feedstock","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10885,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10879,"level":3,"code":"TX12.4.6","title":"Repurpose Processes","definition":"Repurpose processes support the recycling and reuse of spent material and structures at destinations, for repair or new application.","exampleTechnologies":"Reuse vehicle tanks for habitats and storage, packaging for building material, metals components as additive manufacturing feedstock","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":3,"currentTrl":5,"endTrl":5,"benefits":"Supporting NASA's Human Exploration Destination Systems Technology Area and LaRC, this project's technologies directly address requirements for reducing launch mass by reclaiming launched structural components into recyclable manufacturing feedstock and providing polymeric technology for utilizing in-situ resources as composite AM raw materials. Recyclable composite materials would find potential in transport, colonization, habitat, and exploration systems. Future NASA space exploration and colonization missions will be planned to maximize available resources to enable mission success. Recyclable composites could play a significant role as an in-situ resource for those missions. This project's technologies offer the ability to manufacture components and structures on-site as needed through reclaiming structural composites that are no longer needed, allowing for reconfiguration of those same composites to new geometries, production of AM feedstock from the desized composites, and/or application of the reclaimable composite polymer matrix as a binder resin for larger volumes of environmental sourced particulate materials. This serves to reduce overall launch cost, and provides deep space exploration with additional tools to fabricate components and structures at mission destinations.
This project's technologies, developed for NASA systems, would directly apply to systems operated by other government and commercial enterprises. Potential customers would be oriented toward emerging composite recycling markets and enhanced additive manufacturing feedstocks. Example systems include rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing of complex, low-run number, and advanced design parts for systems operated by the Department of Defense. 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 additive manufacturing processes, including thermosetting systems. This technology's attributes for improving the compatibility of polymers to AM systems would yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for AM and 3D printer manufactures, increasing the materials properties available in the feedstock. Companies could dramatically expand the properties of raw materials available to consumers, create new product lines based on thermosetting material designs, and potentially be able to produce materials with custom thermal-mechanical performance on-demand. The technology also enables businesses to additively manufacture components and systems previously impossible due to material limitations, and allows processes for the recycling and repair of composite materials previously incompatible to reuse after fabrication to first form.","description":"CRG proposes to continue efforts from the 2016 NASA SBIR Phase I topic H5.04 Reclaimable Thermally Reversible Polymers for AM Feedstock. In Phase II, CRG will refine the thermally-reversible polymeric materials for function as reprocessable thermosetting matrixes, and evaluate improved reclamation and additive manufacturing (AM) related processing methods for prototype demonstrations. These materials and processes enable reclamation and repurposing of structural fiber-reinforced composites into new configurations during extraterrestrial missions, such as conversion to Additive Manufacturing (AM) feedstocks or direct fabrication into multipart constructs. The thermally-reversible thermosets also present the opportunity to generate volumes of AM feedstock through function as a binder matrix, allowing compounding and impregnation/infusion of in-situ resources such as environmentally sourced metallic, mineralogical (i.e. regolith), and desized/milled non-reprocessable composites. This approach will provide NASA with a means to support in-situ resource utilization with a reduced reliance on pristine raw material payloads. CRG has already demonstrated the efficacy of thermally-reversible polymer structures in commercial adhesive applications, as well as in previous NASA technical efforts for modifying waste packaging plastics to provide improved compatibility to AM processing (NASA SBIR H14.03-9603), and in the feasibility demonstration of the Phase I effort of this project. The proposed concept not only has the potential to enable resource reclamation and AM capability, but also to advance the state-of-the-art in AM materials technology. CRG's proposed approach to develop thermally-reversible polymer materials for thermoset polymer reprocessing, and demonstration of reclamation and manufacturing compatibility evaluation, will provide NASA with a material and processing technology readiness level (TRL) of 5 at the conclusion of the Phase II effort.","startYear":2017,"startMonth":4,"endYear":2019,"endMonth":4,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":3251054,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Brian","lastName":"Henslee","fullName":"Brian Henslee","fullNameInverted":"Henslee, Brian","primaryEmail":"hensleeb@crgrp.com","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":52080,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Brian","lastName":"Henslee","fullName":"Brian E Henslee","fullNameInverted":"Henslee, Brian E","middleInitial":"E","primaryEmail":"Hensleeb@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":3164487,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Mia","lastName":"Siochi","fullName":"Mia Siochi","fullNameInverted":"Siochi, Mia","primaryEmail":"Emilie.J.Siochi@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":293934,"fileName":"SBIR_2016_2_BC_H5.04-8148","fileSize":250712,"objectId":290454,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"244.8 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This project's technologies offer the ability to manufacture components and structures on-site as needed using structural composites that are no longer needed and yielding effective binder matrixes for large volumes of environmental sourced particulate materials. This reduces overall launch cost, and provides deep space exploration the ability to fabricate components as needed.
Government systems would derive benefits from this technology, including rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing of complex, low-run number, and advanced design parts for systems operated by the Department of Defense. 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 additive manufacturing processes. 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 AM systems would yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for AM and 3D printer manufactures, significantly increasing the materials properties available in the feedstock. Such companies could dramatically expand the thermoplastic raw materials available to consumers, create new product lines based on thermosetting material designs, and potentially be able to produce materials with custom thermal-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 as reprocessable thermosetting matrixes. These material systems will enable reclamation and repurposing of structural fiber-reinforced composites into new configurations during extraterrestrial missions, such as conversion to Additive Manufacturing (AM) feedstocks or direct fabrication into multipart constructs. The thermally-reversible polymer thermosets also present the opportunity to generate volumes of AM feedstock through function as an optimized binder matrix, allowing compounding and impregnation/infusion of in-situ resources such as environmentally sourced metallic, mineralogical (i.e. regolith), and desized/milled non-reprocessable composites. This material approach will provide NASA with a means to generate AM feedstock and support in-situ resource utilization with a reduced reliance on pristine raw material payloads. CRG has already demonstrated the efficacy of thermally-reversible polymer structures in commercial adhesive applications, as well as in a previous NASA technical effort for modifying waste packaging plastics to provide improved compatibility to AM processing (specifically FDM). The proposed concept not only has the potential to enable resource reclamation and AM capability, but also to advance the state-of-the-art in AM materials technology. CRG's proposed approach to develop thermally-reversible polymer materials for thermoset polymer reprocessing, and demonstration of reclamation and AM compatibility evaluation, will provide NASA with a material and processing technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 at the conclusion of the Phase I effort.","startYear":2016,"startMonth":6,"endYear":2016,"endMonth":12,"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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