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

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目旨在开发用于最终用户可模制先进复合材料工业制造的规模化工艺，用于保护运动设备。目前，必须使用具有高加工成本的工业制造技术来生产保护性运动装备和配件。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令人信服的强度和延展性的混合，以创造更用户友好的轻质和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，本质上是可回收的闭环，低能耗，基于解决方案的系统。美国复合材料市场总额为250亿美元，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，热固性塑料很坚固。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，重塑需要非常高的温度。聚亚胺聚合物代表了一类新的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。该第二阶段研究项目将包括最终用户可模制复合材料的工业制造的规模化工艺，这些复合材料的厚度最大为四分之一英寸，并符合肢体关节防护设备的行业标准。第二阶段的工作还将包括各种类型的材料和机械测试，包括内部和认证实验室，以及证明可制造性和试生产的广泛努力。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is for the development of scaled processes for the industrial manufacture of end-user moldable advanced composite materials for use in protective athletic equipment. Currently, protective athletic equipment and accessories 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 intrinsically recyclable in a closed-loop, low-energy, solution-based system. The total U.S. composite materials market is $25 billion, 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 temperatures. Polyimine polymers represent a new class of moldable and remoldable thermoset materials. Importantly, these polymers combine high rigidity and tough mechanical properties with mild molding temperatures. This Phase II research project will include scaled processes for the industrial manufacture of end user moldable composite materials that are a maximum of one-quarter inch in thickness and meet industry standards for limb joint protective equipment. The Phase II effort will also include a variety of types of material and mechanical testing, both in-house and at certified laboratories, in addition to extensive efforts at proving out manufacturability, as well as pilot production.