Processing Technology for Lyotropic Polymers

Foster-Miller, Inc.

Waltham, MA 
 

Development of a new extrusion die process for lyotropic  polymers and innovative post extrusion processes to produce very high stiffness light-weight liquid crystal polymer materials

• The work funded by this SBIR contract and several other SBIR contracts funded by DoD particpants enabled Foster-Miller to develop the processing technology for making films and tubes from lyotropic ordered polymers such as polphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) for various scientific and industrial applications

• Based on the SBIR results, Foster-Miller received $1.5M from Dow Chemical Company in license fees and material support for PBO film processing technology

• The Department of Energy awarded Foster-Miller a contract for $800K to develop a high temperature membrane for fuel cells
• JPL has awarded an SBIR contract to Foster-Miller to construct a balloon constructed of PBO to carry instruments to explore the surface of Venus.  PBO is the only polymer that  has the required strength and high temperature resistance to survive the Venusian atmosphere

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