SBIR Phase I: Reactive Polyolefins (x-PAOs) as Advanced Organic Phase Change Materials

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在通过开发一种新型的形态稳定的相变材料改性树脂来降低将节能相变材料(PCM)引入终端产品的成本和复杂性，该树脂含有独特的反应性聚烯烃成分。重要的是，用于电动汽车(EV)电池被动热调节的新型相变材料的开发有可能提高电动汽车的安全性、续航里程和可负担性，这代表着一个潜在的市场，目前价值8700万美元，每年增长20%。通过提高电动汽车的性能和减少昂贵的电池更换频率，从而增加对节能汽车的采用和减少温室气体排放，这些优势的验证应该会显著造福社会。该项目还可以增加节能PCM技术在其他市场的渗透率，这些市场总计价值3.7亿美元，包括建筑材料、纺织品、电子产品和包装，这可能会对社会产生巨大的积极经济影响。最后，成功实现SBIR第一阶段计划的目标将进一步促进对基于有机材料的相变材料的科学/技术理解。该项目的智力优势是验证了一种新的范例，用于自下而上地设计、生产和优化具有良好结构特征的反应性聚烯烃，这些聚烯烃具有可调的相对分子质量和窄的多分散性，与用于废热管理的有机相变材料(PCM)相比，具有优异的性能和稳定性特征。为了实现这一目标，将通过优化分子结构、立体化学规整性以及主链和侧链相变的温度和动力学来确定最适合商业化的反应性聚烯烃。还将优化反应变量，以在工业相关和可扩展的工艺条件下提供最高的反应性聚烯烃产量。基于反应性聚烯烃的PCM改性热固性树脂的开发将为商业废热管理应用提供途径，这些应用使用从铸造或注塑获得的物理结构，并应受益于更低的生产成本、更广泛的应用范围和更高的长期稳定性。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to reduce the cost and complexity of incorporating energy-saving phase change materials (PCMs) into end-use products by developing a new class of form-stable PCM-modified resins that contain a unique reactive-polyolefin component. Importantly, the development of new PCMs for the passive thermal regulation of electric vehicle (EV) batteries has the potential to increase EV safety, range, and affordability, representing an addressable market currently valued at $87m and that is growing at 20% per year. Validation of these advantages should significantly benefit society by increasing electric vehicle performance and reducing the frequency of expensive battery replacement, thus increasing the adoption of energy efficient vehicles and reducing green-house gas emissions. This project can also result in an increase in the penetration of energy efficient PCM technology in additional markets worth a combined $370m, including building materials, textiles, electronics, and packaging, which can have a large positive economic impact on society. Finally, successful realization of the goals of this SBIR Phase I program will further enable scientific / technological understanding of PCMs that are based on organic materials.The intellectual merit of this project is the validation of a new paradigm for a bottoms-up approach to the design, production, and optimization of structurally-well-characterized reactive polyolefins of tunable molecular weight and narrow polydispersity that possess superior performance and stability characteristics as organic phase change materials (PCMs) for waste heat management as compared to conventional paraffin-based PCMs that have remained virtually unchanged for the past half century. To achieve this goal, reactive polyolefins that are the best candidates for commercialization will be identified through optimization of molecular structure, stereochemical tacticity, and the temperature and kinetics of main-chain and side-chain phase transitions. Reaction variables will also be optimized to provide the highest yields of reactive polyolefins under industrially-relevant and scalable process conditions. The development of PCM-modified thermoset resins based on reactive polyolefins will provide access to commercial waste heat management applications that employ physical constructs obtained from casting or injection molding and should benefit from lower production costs, a wider range of applications, and greater long-term stability.