NASA SBIR 2015 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Applied Poleramic, Inc.
6166 Egret Court
Benicia, CA 94510 - 1269
(707) 747-6738

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Brian S Hayes
hayesb1@sbcglobal.net
6166 Egret Court
Benicia, CA 94510 - 1269
(707) 747-6738

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Doyle G Dixon
dixon.doyle@sbcglobal.net
6166 Egret Court
Benicia, CA 94510 - 1269
(707) 747-6738

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 4
End: 6

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Large-Scale Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) Structures, Materials, and Manufacturing Processes is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
As the size of composite parts exceed that of even the largest autoclaves, new out-of-autoclave processes and materials are necessary to achieve the same level of performance as autoclave cured composites. As an alternative to OOA prepreg systems, infusion of dry fiber preforms made by automated dry fiber placement (ADFP) can mitigate out-time issues and shelf-life problems combined with lower cost manufacturing. Although improvements in ADFP products have continued, use and application of these ADFP products have been limited due to the necessary balance of processing and performance of the infusion resin. This is a result of not only the low permeability of the ADFP product preforms but also the inadequate damage tolerance and micro-crack sensitivity of the developed composites. Accordingly, Applied Poleramic, Inc. proposes to develop a novel low viscosity, long pot-life infusion resin for use with ADFP product preforms that results in cured performance similar to that of unidirectional Hexcel 8552 prepreg parts. Specifically, the infusion resin will be capable of significantly lower infusion temperature (less than 150 ⁰F) as compared to current commercial infusion resins along with improved fracture toughness. This innovative epoxy infusion resin will enable large complex composite structures to be developed using ADFP product preforms with lower manufacturing risk, reduced production time, higher part quality, and a new level of performance not attainable with current commercial infusion resins. Ultimately, the technology will lead to a new generation of low cost composite materials, critical to future NASA space programs and missions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
This composite technology can provide cost, performance, and design advantages where traditional prepreg and OOA prepreg materials have been used or specified such as future production of spacecraft, large space structures, space stations, satellite, orbiters, landers, rovers, and habitats. Some specific programs include the Orion (MPCW) and future MMSEVs. The technology may also find use for cryogenic tanks where thin-ply ADFP product preforms would be resistant to micro-cracking.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Opportunities for commercial applications come from NASA funded crew and cargo space transportation partners, commercial aircraft, rotorcraft, satellite, and transportation structures. This OOA infusion composite technology will be targeted for future large structural parts in which layup and manufacturing time has excluded the use of traditional prepreg materials due to out-time concerns. Also, applications may include parts which have traditionally utilized aerospace prepreg materials.