SBIR Phase I:SBIR Phase I: Continuous roll-to-roll wire coating process to produce CNT EMI shields

该SBIR一期项目致力于减少飞机线材重量，以提高飞机航程并降低运营成本。商业和军事航空公司非常关注与飞机运营相关的燃料成本，因为这项费用在公司总成本中占很大比例。飞机重量的大幅减少可以在每架飞机的使用寿命内节省数百万美元。例如，从一架军用战斗机上减少一磅重量可以在其使用寿命中节省高达3000美元，并且可以增加其操作范围，携带更大有效载荷的能力并延长其站时能力。这些成本节约将有利于商业航空公司减少开支，从而产生更高的净收入。财务业绩的提高促进了公司的发展，并在组织的各个层面创造了更多的就业机会。该行业收入和就业的增加刺激了国民经济的持续增长，通过税收和商业部门绩效的提高为政府带来了好处。国防和航空航天部门也将受益于燃料成本的降低，减少成本和温室气体排放。该项目与美国国家科学基金会推进科学、促进国家繁荣和确保国防安全的使命直接一致。该项目通过使用碳纳米管沉积工艺为电线的开发和制造提供了创新的贡献，以生产电线的屏蔽。该工艺用途广泛，可用于生产具有商业金属内导体或碳纳米管纤维束作为内导体的电缆，其特定导电性与锡相似。它结合了高强度，导电性和低密度的导热性，这使得它们非常适合减重优先的应用，特别是在航空航天应用中。到目前为止，通过复合连接器、热塑性电缆夹、缩小连接器尺寸和使用更薄的壁绝缘，电线重量只实现了微小的减少。由于重量减轻，碳纳米管的使用将不需要去除组件。该项目的目标是证明一种连续的卷对卷线材涂层工艺，以生产适合大批量生产的碳纳米管电磁干扰屏蔽。这将通过使用在第一阶段项目之前开发的碳纳米管沉积的基础方法来完成。该项目将产生开发卷对卷连续碳纳米管线材涂层所需的方法。

This SBIR Phase I project strives to reduce aircraft wire weight in order to improve aircraft range and reduce operating costs. Commercial and military aerospace companies are heavily concerned with fuel costs associated with aircraft operation, as this expense contributes significantly to the total costs of the company. Substantial reductions in aircraft weight could save millions of dollars per plane over its operating lifetime. For example, eliminating a single pound from a military fighter aircraft can save up to $3,000 over its lifetime, as well as increase its operating range, capacity to carry a larger payload and extend its time-on-station capabilities. These cost savings will benefit commercial aviation companies from decreased expense, resulting in a higher net income. Enhanced financial performance promotes company growth and the creation of more jobs throughout all levels of the organization. Increased income and job growth in this sector with stimulate continued national economic growth, providing benefit to the government via tax collections and increased commercial sector performance. National defense and aerospace sectors would also benefit from fuel cost reductions reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions. This project directly aligns with the NSF mission to progress science, advance national prosperity and secure the national defense.This project provides innovative contribution to wire development and manufacturing through the use of a carbon nanotube deposition process in order to produce shielding for wires. This process is versatile and can be used to produce cables with a commercial metal inner conductor or a carbon nanotube fiber bundle as inner conductor and a specific conductivity similar to tin. It combines high strength, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity with low density, which makes them ideal for applications where weight reduction is a priority, specifically in aerospace applications. Until now, only minor reductions in wire weight have been achieved, through advances in composite connectors, thermoplastic cable clamps, downsizing connectors and using thinner wall insulation. The use of carbon nanotubes would remove the need for component removal due to decreased weight. The goal of this project is to prove out a continuous roll-to-roll wire coating process to produce carbon nanotube electromagnetic interference shields suitable for a large volume manufacturing operation. This will be accomplished through the use of foundationary methods of carbon nanotube deposition developed prior to this Phase I project. This project will produce the methods required for developing roll-to-roll continuous carbon nanotube wire coating.