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 method to create Sequential/Simultaneous Multi-Metalized Nanocomposites (S2M2N) via supercritical fluid (SCF) sequential or simultaneous multi-metal infusion. The SCF infusion process provides deep impregnation of metal nanoparticles into a variety of materials, including those with challenging topographies and complex structures. The resulting multi-metallized nanocomposites can possess high electrical conductivity, permittivity, permeability, wear resistance/anti-penetrant, and radiation shielding along with high toughness. The technology has many applications, including use on solar sails, lightning protection or electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for aerospace vehicles, automobiles, and electronic devices. It can also be used in flexible organic magnet materials, highly conductive flexible materials for electrodes and super capacitors, large scale deployable antennas to manage electromagnetic signals in space, gas separation and filters, catalysts embedded in flexible membranes, and gas sensors. Well-dispersed metal decorated nanotube or nanowire polymer composites have rarely been reported because of the excessive weight contrast between the decorated tubes and the polymer matrix. However, various properties, such as high electrical conductivity, permittivity, permeability, wear resistance, anti-penetrant, radiation shielding and high toughness are desirable and can be achieved with S2M2N metalized nanocomposites. Further, it is desirable to have nanocomposites that exhibit improvement in more than one of these properties and thus be capable of performing multiple functions. This invention provides a method to decorate pre-resided carbon nanotube, boron nitride nanotube, graphene, or nanowire surfaces in a polymer matrix with metal nanoparticles via supercritical fluid. NASA is seeking to license this technology commercially. 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 the nature of your interest in the technology along with a brief background of your company. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at http://technology.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.