NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Nano EnerTex
4131 Grennoch
Houston ,TX 77025 - 2303
(713) 667 - 9558

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Ali    Zomorrodian
lignatiev@netscape.net
4131 Grennoch Ln
Houston, TX  77025 -2303
(713) 667 - 9558

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The need for radiation protection in humans is critical to the success of the nation's continued presence in space. A new radiation protection system will be developed from the recently defined unique hydrogen uptake properties of polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes. The PANI nanotubes have preliminarily shown up to 6% uptake of hydrogen yielding 11-12% total hydrogen content with low total density. The polymeric nature of polyaniline also makes for good structural stability and form stability for shielding elements fabricated from the polymer. The effort in this proposal will identify the compositional stability of the hydrogen-rich PANI system, will advance hydrogen uptake in PANI to > 15%, will test PANI nanotubes for radiation stability and radiation shielding, and will develop design scenarios for the integration of the PANI radiation protection material as cloth or molded parts for space suits and flexible/inflatable habitat applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Nasa benefits will acrue from the advancement of high hydrogen content nanofiber cloth for integration into space systems including space suits, spacecraft, and habitats through both their radiation absorption properties, and their conductive properties. Such efforts will not only result in the design and development of a critical radiation protection system, but also a radiation protection system that can be integrated for use in various physical forms and in a variety of human environments in space

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The loading of hydrogen into H-PANI, and the possible extraction of that hydrogen under specific conditions may allow for the H-PANI to be used as a hydrogen storage medium. Such a possibility has extensive commercial perspectives as it could significantly impact the 'Hydrogen Economy" proposed to expand the clean energy needs of the country. The storage of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles and other hydrogen needs is of critical interest in today's economy. In addition, however, there will be further benefit for NASA as a result of possible simplification of hydrogen storage from the cryo-storage scenario currently popular in NASA

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Biomedical and Life Support Inflatable Portable Life Support Radiation Shielding Materials Suits