SBIR Phase I: Fast and low-energy manufacturing of high-performance, fiber-reinforced composites

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将建立新型纤维增强塑料复合材料（FRP）的热和机械极限，并开创这些FRP的快速制造工艺。FRP有可能通过在许多行业（包括航空航天、汽车、建筑、基础设施、海洋和风能）中取代钢铁和铝，实现显著的轻量化和随后的温室气体减排。然而，其加工困难和生产缓慢使得FRP过于昂贵而无法广泛采用。如果成功，拟议的项目将使玻璃钢在汽车和基础设施等对价格敏感的行业中得到采用，以广泛减少温室气体排放。一个短期的市场，可以解决与这项技术是玻璃钢模具市场。玻璃钢模具用于制造玻璃钢，但本身也由玻璃钢制成。更便宜的玻璃钢模具和更短的交货期是制造商的主要需求。到2020年，国内模具制造市场估计为216亿美元。随着玻璃钢市场的不断增长，模具制造市场预计将以实物形式增长。该项目的智力价值包括新的纤维增强塑料复合材料（FRP），相关的制造工艺及其优化方法。其核心创新是树脂化学，具有独特的低能耗、快速固化形式。该项目将是开发新制造工艺的第一个关键步骤，该工艺利用这种固化现象实现更快，更便宜的FRP制造。第一阶段的研究分为三个阶段。在第1阶段，将评估不同树脂组分对FRP部件最终热性能和机械性能的影响。在第二阶段，将开发一个原型系统，用于快速制造大型测试样本。将了解常见的故障模式，并确定最佳的处理条件。在阶段3中，将使用不同形状因子的纤维填料。该项目将建立一个新的，更有效的玻璃钢制造过程的基本原理和常见故障模式。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will establish the thermal and mechanical limits of novel, fiber-reinforced, plastic composite materials (FRPs) and pioneer a fast-manufacturing process for these FRPs. FRPs have the potential to achieve significant lightweighting and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions reductions by displacing steel and aluminum in many industries including aerospace, automotive, construction, infrastructure, marine, and wind energy. However, difficulties in their processing and slow production have made FRPs too expensive for widespread adoption. If successful, the proposed project will enable FRP adoption in more price-sensitive industries such as automotive and infrastructure for widespread greenhouse gas emissions reductions. A shorter-term market that can be addressed with this technology is the FRP mold market. FRP molds are used to make FRPs but are also themselves made of FRPs. Cheaper FRP molds with shorter lead times are a major need for manufacturers. The domestic market for mold making was estimated to be $21.6 billion in 2020. As the FRP market continues to grow, the mold making market is expected to grow in kind. The intellectual merit of this project includes new, fiber-reinforced, plastic composite materials (FRPs), associated manufacturing processes, and methods of optimization thereof. The core innovation is resin chemistry with a unique form of low energy, rapid curing. This project will be the first critical step in developing new manufacturing processes that exploit this curing phenomenon for faster, cheaper FRP fabrication. This Phase I research is split into three stages. In stage 1, the effect of different resin components on the final thermal and mechanical properties of the FRP parts will be evaluated. In stage 2, a prototype system will be developed for fast fabrication of large test specimens. Common failure modes will be understood, and optimal processing conditions will be determined. In stage 3, different form factors of fiber fillers will be used. This project will establish the fundamentals and common failure modes of a novel, more efficient FRP manufacturing process.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.