SBIR Phase I: Development of Advanced Composite Materials for Athletic Equipment

SBIR 第一阶段：运动器材用先进复合材料的开发

• 批准号: 1520520
• 负责人: Chris Kaffer
• 金额: $ 14.97万
• 依托单位: Mallinda, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-07-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1520520&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Development; Advanced; Composite

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is for the development of end user-moldable advanced polyimine composite inputs for the athletic protective gear market (which is valued at $16.6 billion). Currently, plastic products must be produced using industrial manufacturing techniques that have high tooling costs. As a result, manufacturers produce a small range of predetermined sizes and shapes, which do not provide a custom fit for end users. In the case of athletic gear, there is a growing market for hard-shell protective equipment which can be custom molded for a better fit. Polyimine polymers and advanced composites offer a compelling blend of strength and malleability in order to create more user-friendly lightweight and durable advanced composites that may be shaped by the end-user. In addition to creating greater user customization, both the virgin polyimine polymer and advanced composites that incorporate polyimines are easily and economically recyclable. The total U.S. composite materials market is a $30 billion market, representing 36% of the global composites sector. Polyimine polymers and advanced composite derivatives will reduce environmental waste and increase manufacturing efficiencies across a broad range of vertical markets in the composites sector including personal protective equipment, aerospace, automotive, and infrastructural materials.The intellectual merit of this project derives from the development of the unique chemistry of polyimine polymers. Polymers can be broadly grouped into two categories, thermosets and thermoplastics. Thermosets are strong due to the chemical characteristics of the plastic. However, once cured, thermosets cannot be reshaped. As a result, thermosets are neither repairable, nor are they efficiently recyclable. In contrast, thermoplastics, which are weaker than thermosets, may be molded and remolded. However, remolding requires very high industrial temperatures of between 400 and 600 deg. F. Polyimine polymers are moldable and remoldable thermoset materials. Importantly, these polymers combine high rigidity and tough mechanical properties with mild molding temperatures. This Phase I research project will include developing end user moldable composite materials that are a maximum of ¼ inch in thickness and meet industry standards for limb joint protective equipment. Material testing and mechanical characterization will relate to testing requirements arising from composite prototype development including but not limited to: delamination, fiber-dependent moldability, fiber-dependent flex, fiber-dependent tensile, fiber/resin-dependent pass-through impact force, and failure analysis.

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在为运动防护装备市场（价值166亿美元）开发最终用户可模制的高级聚亚胺复合材料投入。目前，塑料产品必须使用具有高加工成本的工业制造技术来生产。因此，制造商生产小范围的预定尺寸和形状，这不能为最终用户提供定制的配合。在运动装备的情况下，硬壳保护设备的市场不断增长，这些硬壳保护设备可以定制成型以获得更好的贴合性。聚亚胺聚合物和先进复合材料提供了强度和延展性的令人信服的结合，以创造出更用户友好的轻质耐用的先进复合材料，可由最终用户成型。除了创造更大的用户定制，无论是原始的聚亚胺聚合物和先进的复合材料，纳入聚亚胺是容易和经济的回收利用。美国复合材料市场总额为300亿美元，占全球复合材料行业的36%。聚酰亚胺聚合物和先进的复合材料衍生物将减少环境浪费，提高复合材料行业包括个人防护设备、航空航天、汽车和基础设施材料在内的广泛垂直市场的制造效率。该项目的智力价值来自于聚酰亚胺聚合物独特化学的开发。聚合物可大致分为两类，热固性塑料和热塑性塑料。由于塑料的化学特性，热固性塑料的强度很高。然而，一旦固化，热固性材料就不能再成形。因此，热固性塑料既不可修复，也不能有效回收。相比之下，热塑性塑料比热固性塑料弱，可以模制和再模制。然而，重塑需要非常高的工业温度，在400和600度之间。F.聚亚胺聚合物是可模塑和可再模塑的热固性材料。重要的是，这些聚合物结合了联合收割机的高刚性和坚韧机械性能与温和的成型温度。第一阶段研究项目将包括开发最终用户可模制复合材料，最大厚度为1/4英寸，符合肢体关节防护设备的行业标准。材料测试和机械表征将涉及复合材料原型开发产生的测试要求，包括但不限于：分层、纤维相关的可模塑性、纤维相关的弯曲、纤维相关的拉伸、纤维/树脂相关的通过冲击力和失效分析。