SBIR Phase I: Reusable Adhesive Fasteners Using Shape Memory Polymers

这个小型企业创新研究（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坏，但安全和可重复使用的粘合剂紧固件的需求，这些紧固件可以在干燥和潮湿的表面上表现良好。本项目开发一种可重复使用的粘合剂紧固件，它是一种不发粘、快速可逆的粘合剂，具有高的连接强度和可逆性。由于该装置用于切换其粘附力的独特机制，该装置使底层表面无损伤。 该紧固件易于移除、可重复使用，并且可能具有低制造成本。这样的粘合剂紧固件使得使用者能够容易且牢固地安装和固定中等重量的物体，而没有损坏或在安装表面上留下残留物的风险，即使在中等多孔和粗糙的表面上也是如此。 此外，由于粘合剂紧固件是防水的，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）第一期项目将展示一种粘合剂紧固件，该紧固件在各种环境条件下具有高可靠性和耐用性，并具有有效的活化方法。 形状记忆聚合物（SMP）配方和粘合剂接触界面处的力学将被优化，以使紧固件更能抵抗接触失效。由于这种粘合剂紧固件的粘合剂接触失效模式通常是断裂，因此将在改进机械设计以延缓粘合剂接触断裂方面做出重大努力，并且将定量地确定在接合强度和持续时间方面的所得性能。将通过将导电填料掺入SMP材料中来开发导电SMP的优化制造工艺，以实现连续生产，确保统一的产品质量并实现可扩展的制造。为了这个目的，有效的焦耳加热，形状记忆效应，并最终可逆的导电SMP导电填料组合物，浓度和空间浓度配置的粘合性能进行了研究。SMP在潮湿条件下的粘合性能将在各种液体类型和热机械载荷条件下进行演示和系统测试，以达到最低性能标准。该奖项反映了NSF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.