SBIR Phase II: Prototyping Reusable Dry Adhesives based on Scalable Fiber Spinning Technologies

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目提出了一项新技术，该技术基于排列的聚合物纳米纤维，使用可扩展的静电纺丝方法制造干燥、可拆卸、可重复使用的粘合剂。这种新方法具有显著降低成本和更容易扩大使用无喷嘴纳米纤维纺丝工艺的潜在优势。干燥可重复使用的粘合剂作为凌乱的液体胶水的替代品，将提高产品安全性并减少对环境的影响。可拆卸和可重复使用的胶带和标签也将消除浪费，促进产品回收。由此产生的产品将具有很强的剪切附着力和易剥离，从而广泛应用于玻璃，金属，墙板和塑料等各种基材。概念验证样本证实了市场驱动的价值主张。第二期项目将开发商业产品和应用，用于消费和工业应用、汽车装配系统、装饰墙壁壁画、医疗设备和医疗保健用途。纤维纺丝和收集技术将用于提高产品性能，降低成本并提高制造过程的可扩展性。一期项目已经确认了概念验证干胶样品，其剪切粘接强度在动态模式下超过20 N/cm2，在自重模式下超过45 N/cm2。所得样品剥离强度低，可重复使用。在第二阶段，静电纺丝工艺将使用新型聚合物共混体系进行优化，以实现特定客户产品开发的性能目标。无喷嘴静电纺丝工艺将扩大到中试水平进行产品测试，并为商业化生产提供工程设计依据。一种连续的卷对卷生产排列纳米纤维的工艺将在静电纺丝工业中开辟新的领域。战略合作伙伴提出了在医疗设备中的新应用，以利用这些材料的自粘附特性。将开发干式粘合剂涂抹系统，以使排列的粘合剂纳米纤维符合表面凹凸不平。随着第一阶段概念验证原型的成功，第二阶段的努力将把对齐纳米纤维干粘合剂的开发推向市场引入阶段，为商业生产和销售做准备。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project presents novel technology to fabricate dry, removable, reusable adhesives based on aligned polymeric nanofibers using scalable electrospinning methodologies. This new approach offers the potential advantages of significantly lower costs and easier scale-up using nozzle-free nanofiber spinning processes. Dry reusable adhesives as a replacement for messy liquid glues will improve product safety and reduce environmental impact. Removable and reusable adhesive tapes and labels will also eliminate waste and facilitate product recycling. The resulting products will have strong shear adhesion and easy peel, leading to broad application with a wide range of substrates like glass, metal, wall board, and plastics. Proof-of-concept samples have confirmed market-driven value propositions. The Phase II project will develop commercial products and applications for consumer and industrial applications, for automotive assembly systems, for decorative wall murals, and for medical device and health care uses. Fiber spinning and collection techniques will be engineered to improve product performance, reduce costs and improve scalability of the manufacturing process.The Phase I project has confirmed proof-of-concept dry adhesive samples with shear adhesion strengths exceeding 20 N/cm2 in dynamic mode and 45 N/cm2 in dead weight mode. The resulting samples have low peel strength and are reusable. In Phase II, the electrospinning process will be optimized using novel polymer blend systems to achieve performance targets for specific customer product development. The nozzleless electrospinning process will be scaled to the pilot level for product testing and to provide the engineering design basis for commercial manufacture. A continuous roll-to-roll process to produce aligned nanofibers will break new ground in the electrospinning industry. New applications in medical devices have been proposed by strategic partners to capitalize on the self-adhesion properties of these materials. Dry adhesive applicator systems will be developed to allow the aligned adhesive nanofibers to conform to surface asperities. With the Phase I success of proof-of-concept prototypes, the Phase II effort will move the development of aligned nanofiber dry adhesives into the market introduction phase in preparation for commercial manufacture and sales.