SBIR Phase I: Reusable Adhesive Fasteners Using Shape Memory Polymers

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是解决关键的市场痛点和对无损伤、安全且可重复使用的粘合剂紧固件的需求，这些粘合剂紧固件可以在干和湿表面上表现良好。该项目开发了一种可重复使用的粘合剂紧固件，它是一种不粘、快速可逆的粘合剂，具有高连接强度和可逆性。由于该设备使用独特的机制来切换其附着力，该设备使底层表面无损伤。该紧固件易于拆卸，可重复使用，并且可能具有较低的制造成本。这种粘性紧固件使用户能够轻松安全地安装和拆卸中等重量的物体，而不会损坏或在安装表面留下残留物的风险，即使在中等多孔和粗糙的表面上也是如此。此外，由于胶粘剂紧固件具有防水性能，因此高性能紧固件也可以应用于潮湿环境，扩大了潜在的市场应用。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将展示一种具有高可靠性和耐用性的粘合剂紧固件，该紧固件在各种环境条件下都具有有效的激活方法。优化形状记忆聚合物（SMP）的配方和黏着接触界面的力学，使紧固件更能抵抗接触失效。由于这种粘接紧固件的粘接失效模式通常是断裂，因此在细化机械设计以延缓粘接断裂方面将会有很大的努力，并且由此产生的连接强度和持续时间方面的性能将会定量确定。将开发导电SMP的优化制造工艺，将导电填料掺入SMP材料中，以实现连续生产，确保统一的产品质量，并实现可扩展制造。为此，将研究导电填料组成、浓度和空间浓度配置对导电SMP的有效焦耳加热、形状记忆效应和最终可逆粘附性能的影响。在各种液体类型和热机械加载条件下，SMP在潮湿条件下的粘合性能将被演示和系统地测试到最低性能标准。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to address the critical market pain points and demand for damage-free, yet secure and repeatedly usable adhesive fasteners that can perform well on both dry and wet surfaces. This project develops a reusable adhesive fastener that is a non-tacky, quickly-reversible adhesive, exhibiting high joining strength and reversibility. Due to the unique mechanism the device uses to toggle its adhesion, this device leaves the underlying surface damage-free. The fastener is easily removable, repeatedly usable, and potentially will have low manufacturing costs. Such an adhesive fastener enables the user to easily and securely mount and dismount moderately heavy objects without the risk of damaging or leaving residue on the mounting surface, even on moderately porous and rough surfaces. Furthermore, since the adhesive fastener is water-resistant, high-performance fastening can also be applied in wet environments, expanding the potential market applications.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate an adhesive fastener that works with high reliability and durability in diverse environmental conditions, with effective activation methods. Shape memory polymer (SMP) formulations and the mechanics at the adhesive contact interface will be optimized to make the fastener more resistant to contact failure. Since the adhesive contact failure mode of this adhesive fastener is typically fracture, there will be significant efforts on refining the mechanical design to retard adhesive contact fracture, and the resulting performance in terms of joining strength and duration will be quantitatively determined. An optimized fabrication process for conductive SMPs will be developed by incorporating conductive fillers into the SMP material to enable continuous production, ensuring uniform product quality and enabling scalable manufacturing. For this purpose, the effective Joule-heating, shape memory effect, and final reversible adhesive properties of the conductive SMP upon conductive filler composition, concentration, and spatial concentration configuration will be investigated. The adhesive performance in wet conditions of the SMP will be demonstrated and systematically tested to minimum performance standards under a variety of liquid types and thermomechanical loading conditions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.