SBIR Phase II: Porous Conductive Polymer Nanostructures as Antistatic Additives for Coatings and Plastics

该小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在继续开发一系列用于高性能涂料和复合树脂的新型纳米结构导电添加剂。来自环境的静电荷积聚是许多车辆应用中的关键问题，这些车辆应用越来越多地使用由非导电塑料或复合材料构造的轻质部件。 静电荷积聚会干扰电子元件，例如分布式传感器，因此减轻这种影响对于车辆安全运行至关重要。使用复合材料设计轻量化车辆需要高性能的抗静电涂层，这将导致运输中燃料消耗和碳排放的大幅减少。 2011年，交通运输的排放占美国温室气体排放的28%。现代飞机设计采用复合材料，与传统车辆相比，油耗减少20%以上。 汽车燃油效率标准的提高也将推动制造商采用复合材料。抗静电涂料的开发对于实现这些新的轻质材料技术至关重要。新的添加剂基于由导电聚合物和结构导向剂合成的自组装纳米结构。当成功地加入到商业油漆和底漆中时，涂层的导电性能得到增强，而不会影响附着力和耐久性。在第二阶段的工作中，我们将根据关键客户的要求进一步优化这些添加剂，并制定计划将其生产规模扩大十倍，同时减少浪费和生产时间。 还将评估海洋应用的腐蚀性能，并扩大产品组合以满足后续应用。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project aims to continue the development of a family of new nanostructured conductive additives for use in high-performance coatings and composite resins. Static charge buildup from the environment is a critical problem in a number of vehicular applications, which increasingly utilize lightweight components constructed from non-conductive plastic or composite materials. Static charge buildup interferes with electronic components, such as distributed sensors, so that mitigation of this effect is essential for safe vehicle operation. The design of lightweight vehicles using composite materials, which requires high-performing antistatic coatings, will lead to large reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions in transportation. In 2011, emissions from transportation accounted for 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Modern aircraft designs, utilizing composite materials, show more than 20% reduction in fuel consumption compared to traditional vehicles. Imminent increases in fuel efficiency standards in automobiles will also drive manufacturers to adopt the use of composite materials. The development of the proposed antistatic coatings is essential to enabling these new lightweight material technologies.The new additives are based on the synthesis of self-assembling nanostructures from conductive polymers and structure-directing agents. When successfully incorporated in commercial paints and primers, the conductive properties of the coating are enhanced without compromising adhesion and durability. In this Phase II effort, we will further optimize these additives, based on key customer requirements, and develop a plan to scale up their production tenfold with reduced waste and production time. Corrosion properties for marine applications will also be evaluated, and the product portfolio will be expanded to address follow-on applications.