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

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目是为运动防护装备市场(价值166亿美元)开发最终用户可模塑的先进聚亚胺复合投入物。目前，塑料产品必须使用模具成本较高的工业制造技术来生产。因此，制造商生产的预定尺寸和形状范围很小，不能为最终用户提供定制的合身。就运动装备而言，硬壳防护装备的市场正在增长，这种装备可以定制造型，以获得更好的贴合度。聚亚胺聚合物和先进的复合材料提供了令人信服的强度和延展性的混合，以创造更用户友好的、轻便和耐用的先进复合材料，这些先进的复合材料可以由最终用户塑造。除了创造更大的用户定制化，原始聚亚胺聚合物和包含聚亚胺的先进复合材料都是容易和经济地可回收的。美国复合材料市场总规模为300亿美元，占全球复合材料行业的36%。聚亚胺聚合物和先进的复合衍生品将减少环境浪费，提高复合材料行业广泛的垂直市场的生产效率，包括个人防护设备、航空航天、汽车和基础设施材料。该项目的智力优势来自于聚亚胺聚合物独特化学的开发。聚合物大致可分为两类：热固性聚合物和热塑性塑料。由于塑料的化学特性，热固性很强。然而，一旦治愈，热固性树脂就不能重塑。因此，热固性塑料既不可修复，也不能有效地回收利用。相比之下，热塑性塑料比热固性塑料更弱，可以模塑和重塑。然而，重塑需要非常高的工业温度，在400至600摄氏度之间。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，这些聚合物结合了高刚性和坚韧的机械性能以及温和的成型温度。这个第一阶段的研究项目将包括开发最终用户可模塑复合材料，其最大厚度为1/4英寸，并符合肢体关节保护设备的行业标准。材料测试和力学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、纤维相关的成型性、纤维相关的弯曲、纤维相关的拉伸、纤维/树脂相关的穿透冲击力和失效分析。

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.