TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY --Sucrose Treated Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Yarns and Woven Sheets: LAR-18185-1

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 consolidate carbon nanotube yarns and woven sheets and graphene sheets via the dehydration of sucrose. The resulting materials are lightweight and high strength. Sucrose is relatively inexpensive and readily available, therefore the process is cost-effective. Various aerospace and terrestrial applications require lightweight materials with very high mechanical properties. Carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets have been found to be such materials. In addition, they have been found to have excellent electrical and thermal transport properties. However, retaining the excellent nanoscale properties, particularly mechanical and thermal transport, in bulk materials has proven to be challenging. In order for the nanotubes to be used in applications, they must be spun into yarn(s), sheet(s), and other macroscopic forms introducing relatively weak tube-to-tube and inter-bundle bonds. Also, the nanotubes tend to be entangled, and they therefore do not all contribute in load bearing. Weak coupling at tube and bundle interfaces also leads to mechanical and thermal transport that are much lower than would be expected from the nanoscale carbon nanotube or graphene properties. This invention is for consolidated carbon nanotube or graphene yarns and woven sheets via the formation of a carbon binder formed from the dehydration of sucrose. The resulting materials are lightweight and possess a high specific modulus and/or strength on the macro-scale. Sucrose is relatively inexpensive and readily available, leading to a cost-effective route for achieving bulk nanotube/graphene based multifunctional material formats. 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.