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

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目是为了开发用于保护运动器材的最终用户可模塑先进复合材料的工业化生产的规模化工艺。目前，防护运动器材和配件的生产必须使用工厂化制造技术，这些技术具有较高的工装成本。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本质上都是可在闭环系统、低能耗、基于溶液的系统中回收的。美国复合材料市场总规模为250亿美元，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，重塑需要非常高的温度。聚亚胺聚合物代表了一类新型的可模塑和再模塑热固性材料。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。这一第二阶段的研究项目将包括最终用户可模塑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，并符合肢体关节保护设备的行业标准。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的测试，以及证明可制造性的广泛努力，以及试生产。

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.