SBIR Phase I: Nano-Structured Resin Additives for Improved Composite Implants

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目解决了对可负担得起的、耐用的热塑性复合材料的植入式假肢的需求。热塑性基复合材料，如碳纤维聚醚醚酮（CF-PEEK）在骨科复合材料中具有许多理想的品质，包括生物相容性、高强度和高韧性。较低密度的复合材料是金属骨科假体的替代材料。用重量轻、生理上更相容的复合材料取代金属的社会效益是巨大的。通过更简单的制造方法制造形态控制的CF-PEEK复合材料的好处包括：更高的横向强度，更高的损伤容忍度，出色的生理耐久性和更低的制造成本。该技术的广泛影响是降低CF-PEEK复合材料的制造成本，这将使复合材料在医疗康复系统中得到更广泛的应用，控制和增强复合材料的机械性能，这可能开辟额外的生物医学应用，以及技术流程创新的潜在扩展到航空航天工业。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need for affordable, durable thermoplastic composites for implantable prosthetics. Thermoplastic matrix composites such as carbon fiber-polyetheretherketone (CF-PEEK) have many desirable qualities for use in orthopedic composites including biocompatibility, high strength-top-with-ration and toughness. Composites with lower density are demanded for replacing metallic orthopedic prostheses. Societal benefits from replacing metals with lightweight and more physiologically compatible composites are enormous.The benefits to morphology-controlled CF-PEEK composites fabricated by simpler manufacturing methods include: higher transverse strength, higher damage tolerance, excellent physiological durability, and lower manufacturing costs. The broader impacts of this technology are cost reduction CF-PEEK composite manufacturing, which would allow a wider application of the composites in medical rehabilitative systems, the control and enhancement of composite mechanical properties, which may open up additional biomedical application, and the potential expansion of the technological process innovation to the aerospace industry.