99--TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY ELECTROSTRICTIVE POLYMERS FOR SENSING ANDACTUATION DEVICES: LAR-15960 -16038 -039 -219 -220 -232

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 family of electrostrictive polymeric materials that are available for use by commercial companies. These innovative materials provide significant field-induced strain, high mechanical output force, and exceptional strain energy density. The NASA-developed electrostrictive polymers are conformable, lightweight, and durable. The processing system to fabricate these polymers is simple and can be manipulated to control and optimize the materials mechanical and electrical properties. A variety of elastomers can be used for this technology, which enables grafting with materials like PVDF to provide electrostrictive behavior. NASA has invested in research related to these materials, the processing, and applications including sensing and actuation. The process can be tailored by: Molecular synthesis selection of the appropriate polymer backbone and graft polar base Variation of the fraction of the two constituent polymers Variation of the molecular weight of the two constituent polymers Electroprocessing (poling) Thermal treatment Mechanical treatment U.S. patents 6,545,391/6,515,077/6,724,130/6,867,533/6,689,288. 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 Langleys 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.