| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 03-B3.04-7823 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 035184) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Food and Galley |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Composite advanced polymers for low moisture and oxygen permeability |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
T/J Technologies Inc
3850 Research Park Drive Suite A
Ann Arbor ,MI 48108 - 2240
(734) 213 - 1637
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
John M. Miller
jmiller@tjtechnologies.com
3850 Research Park Drive Suite A
Ann Arbor ,MI 48108 -2240
(734) 213 - 1637
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I program addresses NASA?s need for long duration shelf stable food by developing a high oxygen/moisture barrier polymer system with good optical quality and extended durability for food packaging. At the present time, processable polymers with good optical quality have only intermediate barrier properties, e.g., Nylon-6 and Polyester. Several groups have successfully reduced their moisture and oxygen transmission rates to 30% of their initial values by adding surface treated clays and/or oxygen scavengers, but the transmission rates are still too high. In this program, T/J Technologies will dramatically improve the barrier properties of transparent polymers by tailoring the processing and microstructure of nanocomposite systems. Specifically, we propose to achieve lower transmission rates using a combination of a high barrier polymer, a range of selected additives that can be oriented to reduce gas and vapor permeation, and solution based processing to improve additive dispersion and the ability to orient the additive. We anticipate the resulting materials will show >50% enhancement in oxygen and moisture barrier properties when compared to existing barrier polymer systems.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
If successful, this technology will fill an immediate need for food packaging with improved barrier properties and optical clarity, to help NASA with a stored food system for its Mars mission. Such a high-barrier polymer composite packaging system can greatly enhance the shelf stability of most foods.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to food packaging applications for NASA, this technology will find broad applications in both military and commercial markets in the areas of electronics and sensor packaging and the emerging market of organic LEDs. A plastic with good optical quality and excellent barrier to oxygen and water has a potential market that exceeds $1 billion/year.