Synopsis: NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a simple mechanism for the clean cutting of high strength and high toughness carbon nanotube/polymer fiber composites on demand without high blade wear, replacement rates and related high costs. The cutter is comprised of a set of blades both to score through any resin coating the fibers and to provide an electrical current to cut through the fiber/composite reinforcement and any remaining resin in yarns, tapes and sheets. This technology offers the potential of a very meaningful advance in a critical subsystem area (CNT/composite cutting) in a growing industry. Industry experts recognize the issue as extremely important and one with unsatisfactory solutions for much of the industry, in particular for product manufacturers who turn the CNT/composite raw materials into products of many varieties and properties. The initial application of this technology addresses a rapidly growing component of the market, 3D CNT printing, in which the high strength of CNTs, and especially reinforcements such as yarns, tapes and sheets makes them very difficult to cut. This filament cutting mechanism takes advantage of the electrical conductivity and chemistry of CNT fiber reinforcement to provide a means to achieve clean and precise cuts while utilizing a low amount of energy. The technology employs an opposing set of blades (knives, cursors, or wheels) that serve as both cutter and electrodes, and between which the region of the filament to be cut is isolated. The blades serve to score and degrade any resin coating in the reinforcement fiber, enabling the oppositely dc charged blades to come into contact with the electrically conductive fiber, completing an electrical circuit. This completion of the circuit causes a surge of electrical current to flow through the fiber in the small region between the blades and thus causes the fiber to rapidly heat up. The rapid heating causes the oxidation of any polymer that is on the fiber surface. Additionally, rapid heating also causes ablation/vaporization of the fiber and/or polymer coating. There is no shearing action required to cut the very strong, tough fibers, which eliminates unintended damage to the fibers due to them being dragged by the blade. Increased blade life is thus an additional benefit. A key aspect of the technology is that it is designed as an in-line, embedded technology for applications such as its initial design goal 3D printing. NASA is seeking to license this technology commercially in the United States. US Patent pending. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to
[email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. Please also provide how you foresee using the technology along with a brief background of your company. Additionally, please identify any non-US interests/subsidiaries in your company as well. For more information about licensing other NASA Langley-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Langley's Technology Gateway at https://technologygateway.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA Langley's Office of Strategic Analysis and Business Development "OSACB" for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, OSACB will follow the required formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.