SBIR Phase II: Photo-Curable Silicon Oxycarbide Fiber for Diesel Engine Particulate Filters

这个小型企业创新研究二期项目将扩大可固化预陶瓷聚合物的制造工艺，用于制造高产量和低成本的碳化硅（SOC）纤维和用于柴油发动机颗粒过滤器的粘合纤维垫。在第一阶段的工作中，SOC纤维和纤维垫被成功制成，并获得了柴油颗粒过滤器应用所需的关键材料性能。这一发展代表了第一个由可固化的聚（二甲基）硅氧烷制成的氧化碳化硅玻璃陶瓷纤维。此外，光固化和化学固化的聚硅氧烷预陶瓷聚合物也具有作为其他结构复合材料的粘结剂或基体相的潜力。第二阶段的工作旨在通过与康明斯发动机公司的子公司Fleetguard/Nelson （FGN）合作，优化纤维垫的生产技术。FGN是世界上最大的汽车和卡车滤清器制造商。在该项目中，将解决与自动化制造、工艺放大、纤维垫性能特性和性能测试相关的关键因素，以确保顺利过渡到商业产品。美国环境保护署（EPA）规定，到2007年为止，所有柴油车辆都必须安装柴油微粒过滤器（DPF），从而大大改善了空气质量，因此柴油微粒过滤器（DPF）市场将大幅增长。北美的柴油制造业现在每年的总产出超过850亿美元。美国合计需要DPF的“道路”车辆每年将超过300万辆，导致道路市场每年的潜在规模超过60亿美元。在本项目中扩大的DPF产品具有与当前挤压陶瓷蜂窝过滤器相当的性能，但预计单位成本约为十分之一。这将对柴油过滤系统成本产生巨大影响，并带来可观的环境、能源和贸易逆差利益。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will scale-up a manufacturing process for curable preceramic polymers in the fabrication of high yield and low cost Silicon Oxycarbide (SOC) fibers and bonded fiber mats for diesel engine particulate filters. In the Phase I effort, SOC fibers and fiber mats were successfully fabricated and the critical materials properties required for the diesel particulate filter application were attained. This development represents the first Silicon Oxycarbide glass-ceramic fibers to be fabricated from curable poly(dimethyl)siloxanes. In addition, the photo-curable and chemically-curable polysiloxane preceramic polymers demonstrated also have potential as a binder or matrix phases for other structural composites. This Phase II effort seeks to optimize fiber mat production techniques through collaboration with Cummins Engine Company's subsidiary Fleetguard/Nelson (FGN), the world's largest manufacturer of filters for the automobile and truck market. In the project, critical factors related to automated manufacturing, process scale-up, fiber mat performance characteristics, and performance testing will be addressed to ensure a smooth transition to a commercial product. The diesel particulate filter (DPF) market will grow dramatically due to EPA requirements that all diesel vehicles be equipped with diesel particulate filters by 2007, thereby significantly improving the nation's air quality. The diesel manufacturing industry in North America now exceeds $85 billion in gross output annually. Total U. S. "on road" vehicles requiring DPF's will exceed 3 million units annually, resulting in a potential on road market size of in excess of $6 billion per year. The DPF product to be scaled up in this project has comparable performance to the current extruded ceramic honeycomb filter but with a projected unit cost of about one-tenth. This will have a dramatic impact on diesel filtration system costs with substantial environmental, energy, and trade deficit benefits.