SBIR Phase I: Net-Shape Directionally Reinforced Structural Foams with High Temperature Mechanical Properties

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将通过网状发泡技术从液晶聚合物(LCP)开发一系列高温闭孔聚合物泡沫。建议的低密度LCP复合泡沫将使用定向增强材料进行加工。这种创新材料在室温或高温下将具有优异的结构性能，并将具有阻燃、防潮和耐化学腐蚀性能。飞机、地面车辆和空间结构中的大多数结构部件都具有复杂的形状。目前，它们被制成块状，并被加工成所需的形状。加工成本(占总成本的80%以上)和材料浪费是总体采购成本的主要因素。用于夹层结构的聚合物泡沫缺乏航空航天和许多高端应用所需的高温机械性能。净形LCP泡沫塑料的商业应用将包括夹层结构、飞机和航空航天结构、减震器、着陆台、建筑物和桥梁、离岸结构、卡车的大型车辆部件(如保险杠、挡泥板和侧壁内饰)、公共汽车、火车、风力涡轮机叶片、隔音屏障、抑振介质、离岸建筑、服务船和平台。具体的地面车辆应用可能包括在车门、车顶、护膝和转向柱下的垫层，以保护膝盖碰撞，在脚井区域，以及用于行人保护的保险杠。具体的飞机应用可能包括用于前缘、雷达罩、机身、机翼、尾翼和发动机部件周围的夹层结构。拟议的净形定向增强LCP复合泡沫有可能取代Rohacell、Nomex泡沫和铝蜂窝等结构泡沫，这些泡沫仅在美国的年销售额分别为600万美元、4亿美元和10亿美元。这项拟议的技术将推动人们对创造优质聚合物泡沫的科学理解。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a family of high temperature closed-cell polymer foams from liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) by a net-shape foaming technique. The proposed low-density LCP composite foams will be processed with directional reinforcements. This innovative material will possess superior structural properties at room or elevated temperatures, and will be fire retardant, moisture resistant, and chemical resistant. Most structural components in aircraft, ground vehicles, and space structures have complex shapes. Currently, they are fabricated in a block form and machined into the desired shapes. The machining cost (over 80% of the total cost) and the material waste are big factors in the overall acquisition cost. The polymer foams used for the sandwich structures are lack of high temperature mechanical properties that are desired for aerospace and numerous high-end applications. Commercial applications of the net-shape LCP foams would include sandwich structures, aircraft and aerospace structures, shock absorbers, landing pads, buildings and bridges, off-shore structures, large vehicle components for trucks (like bumpers, fenders, and side-wall interiors), buses, trains, wind turbine blades, sound barriers, vibration suppression media, off-shore constructions, services vessels and platforms. Specific ground vehicles applications may include padding in doors, behind headliners, knee bolsters and under steering columns for knee impact protection, in the foot well area, and bumpers for pedestrian protection. Specific aircraft applications may include sandwich structures for leading edges, radome, fuselage, wing, tail, and around the engines components. The proposed net-shape directionally reinforced LCP composite foams can potentially replace structural foams like Rohacell, Nomex foams and aluminum honeycomb, which have $6 million, $400 million and $1 billion in sales per year, respectively, in the U.S. alone. The proposed technology will push forward scientific understanding of creating a superior polymer foam.